The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and the University of Guelph (U of G) organized the “Knowledge Exchange on Food Security and Sovereignty” on March 24, 2025 at the Agricultural Systems Institute Lecture Hall, UPLB.
The forum brought together experts, academics, and stakeholders to discuss strategies for tackling agrifood system challenges at both global and local scales.
In his welcome remarks, UPLB Chancellor Jose V. Camacho, Jr. emphasized the value of international collaboration. He also underscored UPLB’s AGORA framework, which highlights food security and sovereignty as one of the priority areas of UPLB’s research and extension agenda.
“These are types of partnerships that you form at a time of uncertainties,” Chancellor Camacho said.
An overview of the partnership between the universities was given by Dr. Winifredo B. Dagli, chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for the UPLB – U of G Collaboration.
Dr. Dagli traced the origins of the UPLB-U of G collaboration to pre-2020 efforts, and highlighted future plans for academic exchanges, including opportunities for UPLB staff to pursue advanced studies at U of G in fields such as agriculture and One Health.
The knowledge exchange featured keynote speakers and panel discussions that delved into governance and partnership models for agrifood systems research and innovation at the local, national, and global levels.
Panelists, including representatives from IRRI and Grow Asia, stressed the importance of co-creating knowledge with farmers and communities, moving away from top-down approaches. The Jollibee Group Foundation, through its senior program manager, Ms. Ma Laize Ar Cruzat, also participated in the panel discussion about academic-industry-community partnership for place-based sustainable food security and sovereignty.
Ms. Cherry Tadeo-Cunanan of Grow Asia stated, “There’s no one size fits all approach. It has to be culturally relevant and sensitive. The end users are those from the communities.”
Discussions also explored the need to integrate ethical and social considerations into food systems policies and programs. Panelists emphasized the role of partnerships in scaling innovative solutions effectively and mitigating risks tied to agrifood innovations.
In her closing message, Dr. Helen Hambly from U of G’s School of Environment Design and Rural Development shared her gratitude. “I just want to say, thank you to all who have welcomed us into your hearts, into your work, into this wonderful partnership. We’re going to do wonderful things – we already have, but we will do more.”
Afterwards, representatives from both universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding to renew the partnership between UPLB and U of G. This reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining collaborations, scaling impactful initiatives, and advancing transnational partnerships to address food systems challenges amidst evolving geopolitical landscapes.
“[We hope to] explore more areas of partnership – [like] faculty and student mobility, and maybe we can even come up with joint research,” said Chancellor Camacho. “It really excites us that today we are committing ourselves, going beyond just signing, but devoting resources and time [to shared] values we wish to pursue.” (Danica Grace Barreto & Jill V. Parreño)
