The DA, through the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), highlighted the importance of research for development in addressing the current issues that beset its agriculture sector during the 2023 Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) Project Planning Workshop held on 11-15 September 2023 in Jeonju, South Korea.

The Philippines, one of the 15 member countries, was represented by Julia A. Lapitan, assistant head of DA-BAR Program Monitoring, Evaluation, and Linkaging Division and AFACI national contact person.  One of the primary agenda of the workshop was the presentation of country reports providing an avenue to share respective agricultural status and issues vis-à-vis recommendations, as well as plan new projects. 

Key recommendations presented include the need to enhance effort and improve ongoing initiatives to be able to address identified issues, hence, carry out the proposed solutions and recommendations.

DA-BAR serves as the national coordinating agency for AFACI-funded projects in the country, of which six–on soil atlas, vegetable breeding, stress-tolerant, high yielding rice varieties, Asian Food Composition database, and agricultural technology extension system, are ongoing.

AFACI is an inter-governmental and multilateral cooperation body aimed to improve food production and promote sustainable agriculture of Asian countries through knowledge and information transfer and sharing on agricultural technology. The Philippines, through the DA, has been a member of AFACI since it was institutionalized in 2009 and has implemented projects that cover five programs, namely, Basic Agriculture, Food Crops, Horticulture, Animal Science, and Extension. (### Ma. Eloisa H. Aquino)