DA, 2 Bataan towns, BPSU to implement ‘0 KM’ food project

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has partnered with the municipalities of Dinalupihan and Hermosa, and the Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU) to pilot zero-kilometer or “0 KM” food project in the province.

In a statement yesterday, the DA recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the municipalities of Dinalupihan and Hermosa, and the BPSU to ensure that the targets of the 0 KM project will be met.

The agency said 0 KM promotes healthy eating while minimizing the cost and environmental impact of transporting the products.

It supports the use and consumption of locally grown fruits, vegetables, and other non-industrially produced food products that have not traveled far, or more literally that the food has traveled “zero kilometers” before being eaten.

DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said the initiative forms part of the commitment of President Marcos toward a food-secure nation.

“This program started with our President in his SONA (State of the Nation Address) where he said that it is necessary to complete the value chain of the products we import or buy, but that is not happening because of many obstacles in the municipalities on the way to markets, especially in Metro Manila,” he said.

Under the MOA, the DA, through Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), will provide funding for a research that will examine the factors influencing supply and demand in the two municipalities.

This includes commodity prices and expenditure movements by identifying the major stakeholders in the market economy and analyzing consumer behavior.

“We, at DA-BAR, support studies and projects like this, because with the 0 km project, we are hitting three important goals: help promote income from local production, reduce marketing cost for increased income for producers and with less pollution from transporting goods, we save our environment – all these towards a healthier and food securer nation,” BAR assistant director Joell Lales said.

Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and National Program Director of the High Value Crops and Development Program (HVCDP) director Gerald Glenn Panganiban said this is the outcome of the lessons learned from the difficulties that the HVCDP previously faced.

The DA established a National Technical Working Group under Special Order No. 437, which was approved last April.

The agency said the project aims to develop the food demand and supply structure of the Municipalities of Hermosa and Dinalupihan, Bataan, towards the end goal of sustainable and stable local food production and consumption of locally produced high-value crops and other agricultural commodities.