The DA-BAR, through assistant director Joell H. Lales, participated in the joint ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Zero Kilometer (Zero KM) Project at the Office of the Secretary, DA Central Office on 5 June 2023.
The Zero KM project holds significant promise in enhancing food security, supporting local farmers, and preserving the environment. By encouraging the consumption of locally grown produce and minimizing transportation distances (hence the concept of food traveling “zero kilometer” before being consumed), the project strives to create a sustainable and healthier nation. The collaborative efforts of various government agencies and local officials in Hermosa and Dinalupihan, Bataan demonstrate a unified commitment to achieving these goals.
As part of the agreement, DA-BAR will provide funding for research that will analyze the factors influencing supply and demand in the two municipalities. The research will delve into commodity prices, expenditure movements, identification of major stakeholders in the market economy, and consumer behavior analysis.
“We, at DA-BAR, support studies and projects like this; because with the Zero KM project, we are pursuing three important goals: promoting income from local production, reducing marketing costs to increase income for producers, and preserving the environment by minimizing pollution from transporting goods. These efforts contribute to a healthier and food-secure nation,” said Lales.
The MOA signing solidified the commitment to achieve the targets set by the Zero KM Project. DA senior undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban, speaking at the ceremony, underscored the initiative’s importance as part of President Ferdinand R. Marcos’ commitment to establish a food-secure nation.
Signatories to the MOA included DA-Bureau of Plant Industry director, DA-High Value Crops and Development Program director and National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program director Gerald Glenn F. Panganiban, DA-Central Luzon regional technical director for Operations and Extensions Dr. Eduardo L. Lapuz Jr., Hermosa, Bataan mayor Antonio Joseph R. Inton, Dinalupihan Committee on Agriculture and Fishery chair Elizalde M. Torno, and Bataan Peninsula State University vice president of Academic Affairs Dr. Thelma D. Manansala.