The country’s top economist urged stakeholders in the agriculture sector to invest in measures that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
He cited possible synergies and interventions that raise agricultural productivity, which include crop rotation, intercropping, alternate wetting and drying, and precision agriculture.
Balisacan said these practices have the potential to cut emissions while simultaneously enhancing soil health, crop harvests, and profitability.
“Given the complexity and context-specific nature of the trade-offs and synergies between climate change mitigation and agricultural production, we must consider food security, rural livelihoods, and economic development in identifying and implementing mitigation strategies,” he added.
Balisacan noted that to enhance the resilience and profitability of the agricultural sector, it is essential to consistently incorporate climate risks and sustainability into the development and implementation of measures to improve agricultural productivity.
This would involve regularly conducting climate risk and vulnerability assessments and integrating them into agricultural plans at the sectoral level, he said.
