SHOULD the country aim for the attainment of food security or food self-sufficiency? This question was tackled by prominent economist Dr. Cielito Habito, former National Economic and Development Authority director general and socioeconomic planning secretary, during the Department of Agriculture's Food Security Summit last May 18 to 19. The question is of utmost importance because the popular belief among our legislators and the media is that we should aim for food self-sufficiency.
In layman's terms, food self-sufficiency means producing all the food requirements of the people within the country's borders regardless of the costs of attaining this goal. Since the Philippines geographically lies in a tropical zone, it can produce most of the crops and animals that are meant to feed our people. The cost to society of attaining food self-sufficiency is an issue conveniently left out by its proponents, however, knowing that it is unrealistic to do so given our rapid population growth, growing land scarcity, and that our economy operates in the context of a globalized trading regime.
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