The Philippines has received “special recognition” from the prestigious, Rockefeller-funded Food System Vision Prize for its entry that envisions to reduce the country’s food imports worth billions of dollars by 2050.

The Philippine team, led by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), submitted its entry “Feeding Metro Manila in 2050” that aims to wean Filipinos from a rice-based diet. In place of rice, consumption of other staples like banana, sweet potato and other root crops and tubers are pushed.