Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. warned that global agriculture is facing overlapping crises driven by climate change, geopolitical tensions, and disease outbreaks that are disrupting food production and trade.
He said extreme weather patterns, including El Niño and La Niña cycles, along with threats like African swine fever and bird flu, continue to strain supply and drive up costs.
The agriculture chief also cited global disruptions such as the Ukraine war and lingering pandemic effects as contributors to unstable supply chains and export restrictions.
For the Philippines, he identified high production costs due to infrastructure and logistics gaps as a major challenge to competitiveness.
Despite these pressures, Tiu Laurel stressed the need for agile government responses and stronger global coordination through platforms like the World Trade Organization.
Source: PhilNews24 | April 28, 2026
