24 March 2026 – “If we can more or less bring food costs down, considering inflation…for farmers, are they making more money or not? For me, it’s no longer about production as of the moment. What’s important is that farmers make money because if they make money, it’s automatic that they will plant more and expand.” This is what Secretary of Agriculture Francisco ‘Kiko’ Tiu Laurel answered, when asked how he will define success for Philippine agriculture at the end of his term, during Makati Business Club’s (MBC) Agriculture and Food Security Summit: Food is Everyone’s Business, held on March 17, 2026 at Makati Diamond Residences.

The Summit gathered over 200 participants, including business leaders, policymakers, farmer cooperatives, and agri-enterprises to discuss solutions that can improve agricultural productivity, raise farmer incomes, and strengthen the country’s food security.

The event builds on MBC’s agriculture advocacy launched in 2024, which aims to address a persistent paradox in the sector: rising food prices alongside continued farmer poverty. Over the past year, MBC members and partners have moved from dialogue to implementation, advancing initiatives across eight focus areas: strengthening farmer organizations, improving logistics and supply chains, accelerating technology adoption, expanding direct sourcing channels, encouraging impact investment, replicating proven models, advocating for policy reform, and promoting price transparency.

A key milestone highlighted during the summit was the expansion of MBC’s Adopt-a-Cooperative initiative, which connects farmer cooperatives with sustained business advisory, management training and market access support. Dr. Aristotle Alip, MBC Trustee and Founder and Chairman Emeritus of CARD MRI, presented the initiative, and its approach to strengthening cooperatives. The program welcomed its new partners, Grano de Oro Multipurpose Cooperative and Agos Farmers Irrigators Agriculture Cooperative (AGRIFIACO), through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement during the event.

The summit also showcased examples of private sector initiatives that are already helping farmers improve productivity and market access. Henry Sison, Founder and CEO of Agro-DigitalPH; Francis Estrada, Incorporator of Rice Impact Corporation; Miguel Dominguez, President and CEO of Alsons Development and Investment Corporation; and Winston Uy, Chairman and President of Universal Leaf Philippines, shared insights from their programs and partnerships working with farmers and agriculture communities.

Improving information transparency in agricultural markets was another key topic of discussion. Jose Victor Paterno, Chairman of Philippine Seven Corporation, introduced the Price Transparency Board, an initiative designed to display real-time farm-gate and retail prices for key commodities. By improving access to pricing information, these initiatives aim to help farmers make informed selling decisions, strengthen their bargaining position, and narrow the information gap between producers and buyers.

The Summit concluded with a fireside chat featuring Secretary Laurel, moderated by MBC Trustee and Agriculture Committee Head Manolito Tayag. Tayag underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between government and the private sector, adding that long-term improvements in the sector will depend on continued partnerships across the value chain. Laurel said, “The government can only do so much… We will try our best, but we need your support, and we need you [the private sector] to invest more in our country’s agriculture.”

In his closing remarks, Tayag urged participants to contribute their time, expertise, or resources to the eight focus areas identified by the initiative. “Developing Philippine agriculture is not a sole responsibility of the government. It is a shared effort where business can help strengthen our value chains and expand markets, as we bring real value to the consumers, the farmers, and our companies” he said.

The event concluded with a networking session and exhibit, where MBC members connected with agriculture enterprises, cooperatives, and innovators, including AGREA Agricultural Systems International Inc., Agro-DigitalPH, Farm to Mayani Inc., and OMTSE Ventures—to explore potential collaborations.

The 2026 Agriculture and Food Security Summit reinforces MBC’s commitment to helping build a more productive, inclusive, and resilient agriculture sector—where farmers earn more, consumers pay fairer prices, and the country’s long-term food security is strengthened.

This event was made possible with the support of AUSTRADE, CARD MRI, Jollibee Group Foundation, Union Insulated Panel Corporation, Universal Leaf Philippines, Inc., Carmen’s Best, and More Veggies Please.