Trends in food crops production: policy implications for sustainability and climate change adaptation and mitigation

Trends from 1981 to 2007 showed that the growth in production volume of food crops in the Philippines had significant decreases during years of strong to moderate El Niño and La Niña. Sugarcane, the food crop that constituted 35% of total production during the period, and palay, coconut and banana, the food crops that exhibited very significant increases in volume and in growth rates, were also the ones that had high vulnerability to climate change impacts and had the highest GHG emissions per unit of crop output. Because these trends do not indicate sustainability of production, public policy is needed. The main policy strategy recommendation for the sustainability and climate change adaptation and mitigation of food crops production has two prongs. The first one is the promotion of widespread adoption of climate change adaptation measures that are also mitigative of the GHG emissions from food crops production. The other is harnessing autonomous and planned modifications in food preferences as adaption and mitigation strategies under these two overarching directions, the policy strategies that are being recommended are a) promotion of diversified farming, local seed farms and organic agricultural soils management ; b) reduction of GHG emissions from rice farming through dry seeded rice and alternative wetting and drying irrigation technologies; c) conduct of site specific studies on the economics of adaptation and mitigation measures ; d) development of policies, market-compatible instruments, and regulatory measures to address market failure in food crop production and consumption, for example, 'sin' taxes for beef, tax reform on nitrogen fertilizers and farm chemicals ; e) awareness-raising and information dissemination about minimizing GHGs in food production, for example, 1) eating less rice and more corn, saba, gabi, and other food energy sources, 2) shifting from well-milled white rice to brown rice, 3) eating more local fruits and vegetables that are in season, 4) reducing meat consumption and diversifying food protein sources; f) conduct of ex-ante policy research on economy-wide impacts of widespread changes in food consumption patterns, for example, on the livestock and rice industries; and g) implementation of a clear policy on effective and rational population planning market failure arises in food crop production in the face of climate change due to a) externalities arising from decisions on food crops production and consumption ; b) the non rivalness and non exclusiveness of benefits from adaptation, mitigation and awareness-raising efforts ; and c) the dearth in clear and practical information on how climate change affects food producers and consumers, and how they can alleviate or make climate change worse. Because of this, public policy has a major role in the sustainability and adaptation and mitigation of climate change by the food sector. Also, government must provide adequate financial resources for basic, applied, technical, social and anthropological, and policy action research programs related to climate change because scientific research results will make the recommended policy strategies grounded and relevant, hence implementable.