Dr. Glenn Gregorio and Dr. Rico Ancog of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) said the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has underscored the connections between supply chains and consumption patterns, and the urgent need to redefine agricultural systems as food systems. They said a systemic view of agricultural food systems is imperative for the needed transformation, which should stem right from the hallowed halls of universities and colleges. Gregorio and Ancog explained in a policy paper that under the AIG interconnectivity model, HEIs can design and implement digital agriculture infrastructure and open innovation systems across the agricultural supply chains. On the supply side, we should ask what we should expect to be generated from R&D,” he said. “HEIs are key players in society’s overall ability to achieve the aspired food security and economic development.

Source: Manila Times August 26, 2020 16:07 UTC