A new study underscores the necessity of strengthening nutrition literacy and agricultural life skills in the education of Filipino youth to secure a healthy and productive future generation. This was the main message presented during the SEARCA Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) on September 24, 2025.
In her presentation, nutritionist-dietician Ma. Cristina Sison, co-author of the study “Youth Engagement in Transforming the Food System to Address Malnutrition in the Philippines,” emphasized that youth play a vital role in linking robust food production systems with good nutrition and overall economic development.
“Our youth today will be the future experts and leaders … and will have an important role in ensuring that the quality of food from our agriculture sector is able to impact nutrition,” said Sison. She warned that unless more young people pursue careers or vocations in agriculture, the food system’s human resources may be at risk.
The study also discussed the lasting effects of chronic undernutrition, such as stunting, which has serious consequences for physical and cognitive development, future productivity, earning capacity, and risk of chronic diseases. Sison asserted that basic nutrition and agricultural education are not just academic topics but essential life skills that should be integrated into elementary and high school curricula.
Fellow co-author John Carlo Navasero observed that while current basic education in the Philippines focuses heavily on STEM, the coverage of nutrition and agriculture is often fragmented. However, at the University of the Philippines Rural High School, a more holistic and hands-on approach is used, ensuring students gain broader and deeper exposure to these vital topics.
Dr. Howarth Bouis, lead author and 2016 World Food Prize Laureate, called upon educators to tap existing youth organizations, such as the 4H Club, and Department of Education initiatives like the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” (school gardens) to enhance nutrition and agriculture education both in schools and communities.
The hybrid seminar drew around 80 participants onsite and online, including students, educators, and development practitioners from the Philippines and other Asian countries. One youth participant reflected, “As a youth, I must be proactive in engaging others about healthy nutrition. When I go back to my hometown, I will encourage them to be involved in small activities like having a garden in their backyard.”
The full study is published in the 20th anniversary issue of the Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development (AJAD), available for free at ajad.searca.org. Past issues and print copies can also be accessed through the SEARCA Knowledge Shop in Los Baños, Laguna. Article submissions are welcome year-round via https://ajad.searca.org/submit.
SEARCA’s ADSS continues to serve as a platform for dialogue on development and research, with the aim of advancing sustainable transformation of Southeast Asian agricultural systems through innovation.#
