Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has warned that global agriculture is facing overlapping crises that are affecting production and trade, as climate change, geopolitical tensions, and recurring disease outbreaks reshape food systems and strain the capacity of governments to respond.
He said the increasingly unstable weather patterns driven by climate change, including repeated El Niño and El Niña cycles, have disrupted planting and harvest schedules.
“These climate shocks are compounded by persistent animal diseases such as African swine fever (ASF) and bird flu, which continue to affect livestock supply and prices,” he added.
Tiu Laurel also cited geopolitical disruptions, including the Ukraine war and pandemic aftershocks, which have contributed to supply chain instability and periodic export restrictions across key commodities.
He said those factors are no longer isolated events, but part of a broader pattern of global volatility.
The agriculture secretary said governments must respond with greater agility and a more commercially minded approach to managing risk.
In the case of the Philippines, Tiu Laurel identified persistent weakness in production efficiency as the biggest challenge, particularly high costs driven by infrastructure and logistics gaps.
While the country performs relatively better in product quality and marketing, he said the cost competitiveness remains the key constraint in strengthening both domestic supply stability and export potential.
He also underscored the continued importance of global coordination, saying the World Trade Organization remains a critical venue for dialogue amid fragmented and uncertain global trade conditions.
Agriculture may be facing multiple crises that threaten production and trade, but unfortunately for the government officials responsible for a sector, they have no choice but to rise to the challenge and come up with the necessary programs, solutions, and initiatives that can at the very least mitigate the problems that are sure to come. As a country that has always struggled when it comes to agriculture, these overlapping crises could be an opportunity to differentiate ourselves if we can come up with better answers and adapt better to the different challenges ahead.*
