PASIG CITY, Philippines—The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), in partnership with the University of Asia and the Pacific's Center for Food and Agri Business (UA&P-CFA), will hold the Food and Agribusiness Forum on 30 January 2026 at PLDT Hall, UA&P, Pasig City.
The forum, titled "Harnessing Economies of Scale: Consolidation Pathways for Philippine Food and Agribusiness," will gather agribusiness leaders, policymakers, farmers' groups, researchers, and development organizations to discuss how consolidation strategies can integrate value chains, reduce fragmentation, and foster sustainable agribusiness models that empower both enterprises and smallholders in the country.
The event is the second in a forum series exploring four strategic pillars of Philippine agricultural transformation: digitalization, consolidation, diversification, and industrialization.
According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries, the average farm size in the Philippines declined by 53.4 percent, from 1.7 hectares in 2012 to 0.79 hectares in 2022. This fragmentation limits farmers' access to technology, credit, and modern farming practices, underscoring the need for consolidation approaches that enable economies of scale.
The one-day forum will feature three panel discussions that will examine consolidation from different angles. The first panel session, "Competing at Scale: Building Productivity and Market Power," will discuss how consolidation enables efficiency, improves access to finance and technology, and strengthens positioning in domestic and global markets.
The second panel session, "Models of Agribusiness Consolidation: Pathways for the Philippines," will explore different consolidation models such as contract growing, block farming, nucleus estate, and government-led programs like Farm and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2), drawing insights from both local and international experiences.
The third panel session, "Impact of Consolidation: Successful Cases and Key Players," will showcase real-world examples of value-chain consolidation in the country and measure their socioeconomic impact on smallholders and firms.
Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, SEARCA Center Director, will deliver the welcome remarks, while Dr. Bernardo Villegas, Co-Founder and Professor at UA&P, will give the keynote address.
The forum aims to raise awareness of the importance of consolidation, present successful models and practices, facilitate collaboration among stakeholders, and contribute to program and policy advocacy supporting economies of scale in the food and agribusiness sector.