MANILA, 18 November 2020 — Small-scale agriculture advocates will gather virtually to underscore the importance of supporting small farmers, reducing food loss and waste, feeding the hungry, and keeping the local food supply chain functioning and resilient to shocks on the 26th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Pathways” with the topic, “Transforming Supply Chain.”
 
The episode, hosted by House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, will air on Thursday, 19 November 2020, 10:00 AM via Facebook Live at facebook.com/CCCPhl and facebook.com/conglorenlegarda.
 
Joining the online conversation are: Ace and Andie Estrada, founders of Rural Rising PH; Iloisa Diga, co-founder of Session Groceries; and Tracey Santiago, Founder of Sustainable Sagada.
 
In previous episodes, the online series tackled food gardening and saving seeds, permaculture, good nutrition and diet, planting native trees, practical sustainability, narrating risk to resilience stories through books, tree pest and disease management, reviving indigenous textiles and crafts, transforming waste into wages, championing sustainable urban mobility, and food waste reduction and management.
 
This episode will recognize private sector initiatives to support distressed farmers and link farmers to consumers amid the pandemic and toward a better normal.
 
According to an SWS survey conducted in September 2020, families who hunger due to lack of food to eat reached a record-high of 30.7 percent, equivalent to 7.6 million households.
 
Meanwhile, farmers struggle to sell their produce due to movement restrictions since the imposition of community quarantine, forcing them to throw away fresh food that could have fed people in need without further hurting farm finances.
 
As the country battles the coronavirus pandemic, food security challenges are expected to persist, worsened by the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses that resulted in at least P2.137 billion in agricultural damages.
 
The upcoming episode will raise awareness on identifying strategies to improve the sustainability of local food supply chains and reduce food loss and waste, as well as encouraging the audiences and local communities to buy locally-grown food.
 
As an online discussion to promote health, environmental consciousness, and climate-adaptive practices, "Stories for a Better Normal" aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a ‘better normal’ can be realized within our communities.
 
This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation.