NAST PHL's 46th Annual Scientific Meeting Focuses on Transforming Food Systems

The 46th Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL), held on 10-11 July 2024, emphasized the theme "Beyond Farm Productivity: Transforming the Philippine Food System to Address Equity, Consumer Health and Environmental Issues." The event, which saw participation from ISAAA Inc., convened national scientists, academicians and experts for dialogue and in-depth discussions on critical topics influencing food systems.

Academician Eufemio T. Rasco, Jr., Chair of the Agricultural Sciences Division of NAST PHL, highlighted that the main output of the meeting is a resolution advocating for science-based policies and programs aimed at the highest levels of government and society in general.

A significant highlight of the ASM was the presentation by Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian, a member of the ISAAA Board of Trustees and former Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture. Dr. Sebastian discussed the impact of the food system on climate change, resource depletion and pollution under various scenarios, including business as usual and a transformed food system. He emphasized the role of biotechnology, particularly gene editing, in triggering food system transformation. Dr. Sebastian also recommended the operationalization of the Philippine National Food Systems Transformation Pathway, the convening of Inter-Agency Task Forces on Zero Hunger and the gradual scaling up of sustainable agriculture approaches such as agroecological and regenerative agriculture.

The plenary sessions on the first day explored the impact of the food system on farmer and fisherfolk income and examined the roles of space technology, Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, digital technology and food technology in transforming the food system. The second day’s sessions focused on consumer decision-making, consumer health and nutrition.

In addition to the discussions, the event celebrated the achievements of new NAST academicians and corresponding members, Outstanding Young Scientists, NAST Talent Search for Young Scientists awardees, NAST Environmental Science awardees, Outstanding Book/Monograph awardees and Outstanding Scientific Paper awardees.

For more information, watch the recorded live sessions on the Facebook page of NAST PHL.

This article was originally published on the ISAAA Inc. website on 11 July 2024.