Addressing Agriculture Sector Challenges through Cooperation in Industry and Academia between Canada and the Philippines
The Embassy of Canada in the Philippines in collaboration with Canada's Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-food Office (IPAAO) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños is pleased to invite your company to the AgCultivate 2025: Addressing Agriculture Sector Challenges through Cooperation in Industry and Academia between Canada and the Philippines on February 24 to 25, 2025 (hybrid event) at The Makati Diamond Residences, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. This event will take place after the Canada In Asia Conference (CIAC) 2025 in Singapore.
Event overview
As an import reliant country, the Philippines endures many challenges in this sector including natural disasters, lack of farm-to-table infrastructure and related technologies, inadequacy of land use policies, supply-chain challenges due to a primarily archipelagic geography, productivity issues, exacerbated by impacts due to climate change. These issues all pose challenges to domestic supply chain systems in the agri-food sector, combined with a slow pace in human resources development, innovation to modernize production, processing and marketing in reaching consumers. Meanwhile, Canada is a world-leader in agricultural productivity, with strong infrastructure, supply chains, and importantly - a robust system of government-industry-academic partnerships to address challenges in this sector. As such, Canada is an excellent partner of choice for the Philippines to help address some of the challenges from the grassroots level and to introduce solutions that would have long-term impacts on the Philippine agriculture sector. Canada, in turn, would benefit from a deeper understanding of the systemic challenges faced in the Philippines to better support the Philippines and becomes its partner of choice in this strategic sector, notably on issues related to climate-change impacts on production.
On this note, the Embassy of Canada, Canada's Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-food Office (IPAAO) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños will organize a two-day seminar in Manila to provide a venue for stakeholders in the Philippines, Canada and the region (including industry, academia and government) to discuss challenges in the agriculture sectors in both countries; recognize gaps in agricultural production, technologies, and supply chain in the Philippines; share efficient agricultural production practices in Canada and the Philippines; and introduce stakeholders in Canada and the Philippines to explore opportunities for collaboration in 1) education delivery, training, research and innovation; and in 2) trade through exchange of complementary agricultural technologies, solutions, and agri-food commodities.
This two-day seminar is expected to:
- Increase awareness of the Philippines-Canada Network for Sustainability (PCNS) and increased collaboration amongst PCNS members and with stakeholders from the private sector, government and other stakeholders in the agriculture and agri-food sectors in Canada and the Philippines;
- Facilitate meetings (B2Bs) between:
- Canadian and Philippine universities; and
- Canadian and Philippine agriculture industry associations and companies;
- Promote opportunities to collaborate and invest or participate in activities organized by the PCNS;
- Introduce Canadian academia, expertise and innovations in the education sector and their strong collaboration with the private sector to Philippine agriculture and agri-food stakeholders and academia;
- Increase awareness of the IPAAO, sharing of information through the IPAAO on Canada's agriculture sector and regulations for both plant and animal health, including measures that impact trade and food safety;
- Introduce Canadian agricultural innovations and solutions in the Philippine agriculture sector; and
- Increase strategic partnerships and trade between Canada and the Philippines in agriculture, agri-food and seafood
Expected participants
The Embassy of Canada in the Philippines, IPAAO and University of the Philippines Los Baños are pleased to invite the following:
- Philippine side: Philippine and Canadian academic institutions with expertise in Agriculture including members of the PCNS; Philippine industry associations (feed millers, food processors, meat importers, etc.), private agri-food and agro-industrial companies, International Financial Institutions (Asian Development Bank), local government units and Philippine government agencies (Commission on Higher Education, TESDA, Department of Agriculture and attached agencies, Department of Science and Technology, and other relevant agencies).
- Canadian side: Canadian academic institutions with expertise in Agriculture; Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food industry associations, private agri-food and agro-industrial companies, International Financial Institutions, other relevant stakeholders
Event format
This is a hybrid event with 250 to 300 in-person participants and 500 to 1,000 online participants. We highly encourage in-person participation to maximize the participation at the event.
Registration
There is no registration fee to participate in this event. While this is a hybrid event, in-person participants are reminded to arrange their own hotel accommodation and flights. The Embassy could recommend hotels that have extended corporate rates for Embassy guests for interested participants.
To register for our event, please email Francis.Santos@international.gc.ca and Angel.Cachuela@international.gc.ca.
Virtual registration is open until Thursday, February 20th and in-person registrations until Friday, February 14th (close of business at 5PM, EST).
An e-registration link and a provisional program will be sent to you afterwards.
