SM malls to host urban agriculture areas

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with the SM Group to install urban agriculture areas in select malls across the country.

The DA signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with SM Supermalls and SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) to pursue food production initiatives on a larger scale.

“With the current issues of food insecurity in the country, fostering innovative and sustainable urban farming methods with the help of private sectors is a solution to improve food accessibility. The private sector serves as the extending arms of the DA in reaching new heights for the implementation of the program through sustainable and environment-friendly innovations,” DA senior undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said.

Under the MOA, the DA – through its National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program (NUPAP) – shall provide agricultural inputs, capacity-building activities, and informative materials and trainings that are necessary for the maintenance, compliance to existing regulations, and continuity of the identified project sites.

Meanwhile, SM Supermalls will identify and secure the project sites and other logistical needs for the urban gardens to be established under the MOA.

It will also campaign for urban agriculture through its various platforms.

Initially, 20 urban gardens will be established in select SM malls in the City of Manila; Las Piñas City; Quezon City; Ortigas, Pasig; Marikina City; Quezon City; Muntinlupa City; Urdaneta, Pangasinan; Tuguegarao City; San Fernando, Pampanga; Mabalacat, Pampanga; Nueva Ecija; Tarlac City; Marilao, Bulacan; Puerto Princesa, Palawan; Naga City; Iloilo City; Cebu City; and General Santos City.

On the other hand, SMFI will determine 25 participant-beneficiaries, to be trained as barangay trainors, from the barangay where the project site is located.

It will incorporate the DA’s NUPAP in its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture Program (KSK-SAP), which provides skills enhancement, sustainable livelihood, and employment to local farmers.

SMFI will also work with institutional markets to link the production from the established urban gardens as well as ensure that the trained Barangay Trainors will cascade their learnings down to the household level.

Bureau of Plant Industry director Gerald Glenn Panganiban called on every Filipino to take part in the DA’s undertakings towards food security.

“We know that the government definitely cannot do food security resolutions by ourselves. We need partners from the private sector, even partners from the local governments, at iyon pong mga mahilig sa gardening. Please help us kasi tayo pong lahat ay may responsibility for food security,” he said.

The younger Panganiban concurrently serves as head of the DA-NUPAP and the DA-High Value Crops Development Program.