DESPITE the importance of the agricultural sector to the Philippines, it has for many years been regarded as an unfortunate and problematic part of the economy, providing an insufficient standard of living for the vast workforce it supports and never quite adequately supplying the nation’s needs. However, as we learned during our “Prospects of agriculture beyond the Covid pandemic” forum on Thursday, the third such online forum held by The Manila Times so far this year, there are clear signs of positive change even as the country struggles with the pandemic and its consequences for food supply and prices.

The forum featured Agriculture Secretary Dr. William Dar as keynote speaker, along with economic policy expert and University of Asia and the Pacific professor Dr. Bernardo Villegas, and University of the Philippines Los Baños Chancellor Dr. Jose Camacho Jr.