Last of two parts
I am deeply bothered by the statements of scientists that this year’s El Niño event will be the strongest in many years. One of them is Paul Roundy, a prominent Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Albay (State University of New York), who said that there is a “real potential for the strongest El Niño in 140 years.”
Strong El Niño events are usually followed by a lesser number of storms that, however, are more powerful. One such storm is Super Typhoon Lawin that hit the Philippines in October 2016, packing strong winds of 225 kph and gustiness of 315 kph. Damage to agriculture from Lawin was tallied at P10 billion.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia (Escap) said that the 2015 to 2016 extreme El Niño and the storms that followed caused $2 billion in economic damage to the Philippines. That is staggering.
And here we are now, facing another extreme El Niño that according to the weather bureau has a 79 percent chance of occurring in the next few months.
So, what am I trying to say?
Simple — we must not waste time transforming to a resilient and sustainable food production system that can withstand current challenges, most especially from the climate.
And the nexus for that is WEFE, which stands for water, energy, food, and environment. It integrates the framework for sustainable transformation, where W is for water, E is for renewable energy for agriculture, F for food that is nutrition-sensitive and sourced from climate-resilient systems, and E for environment, particularly the regeneration of ecosystems.
To put the WEFE Nexus in place, we first need to establish the scientific, digital, and Innovation backbone.
Under the hard sciences are the following components: Soil health restoration and carbon sequestration; climate-resilient crop systems; and agroecological intensification.
Digitalization has the following components: Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled advisory systems; satellite monitoring and precision agriculture; and digital marketplaces and traceability systems.
For innovation ecosystems, here are the components: Research-extension-farmer linkages; startups and agri-tech solutions; and regional knowledge platforms
More importantly, innovation must be accessible, affordable, and scalable.
For upscaling the WEFE Nexus, here are the core elements: Policy alignment; financing transformation; market and value chain development; institutional strengthening; and digital infrastructure.
Under the policy alignment, we should aim for a Southeast Asia-wide framework for regenerative agriculture and agrifood systems, including incentives for inclusive agribusiness and private-public-producer partnerships (PPPPs).
When it comes to financing transformation, there is also a need for innovation to create blended financing and climate funds, investment platforms for agribusiness small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and risk-sharing mechanisms.
For market and value chain development, we need the following solutions to replace the current system where the farmers and fishers are usually left out, or have a minimal role. These are: strengthening regional food value chains; promoting certification and standards for regenerative products; and attaining export competitiveness.
When it comes to institutional strengthening, let us focus on the empowerment of farmer organizations, and strengthening cooperatives as agribusiness enterprises, so they can become competitive in both the domestic and international markets.
And since we are living in an increasingly digitally-connected world, we cannot ignore the need for digital infrastructure within the WEFE Nexus. This will require the establishment of regional data platforms and giving farmers and fishers access to real-time information.
Strategies for Asean upscaling
The member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is where the WEFE Nexus can be first upscaled as the Asean Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (AMAF) during its meeting in Manila on October 2-3, 2025 approved the adoption of the principle of an Asean-wide the Regenerative and Resilient Agriculture.
The Asean Business Advisory Council through its platform-Asean Food Security Alliance (AFSA) where I am the Senior Adviser, also strongly advocates and promotes regenerative and resilient agriculture. Mature technologies or solutions must now be scaled up to mitigate El Niño and the impact of geopolitical events.
This scaling requires convergence of policy, finance, markets, and institutions.
And the first steps are to build inclusive agribusiness ecosystems, develop agro-industrial clusters, and promote farmer-led enterprises. All of these should result in the farmer and fisher earning more from the value chain, and becoming competitive in the international markets, including those that demand quality products that are sourced from sustainable production systems.
However, the farmers and fishers cannot do it alone. Hence, the government and the private sector must pitch in by entering into PPPPs.
So, the next step is to pilot and operationalize PPPP models across Asean, and scale the successful models in each country regionally.
What I just discussed should provide the impetus to transition to the agrifood systems approach, which integrates production with processing, logistics, and retail, and reducing post-harvest losses.
And the next logical step is to leverage digital transformation by expanding digital agriculture platforms, and enabling data-driven decision-making.
Strengthening regional cooperation and action agenda
Cooperation among Asean member-states is vital to putting in place the WEFE Nexus in the region, and this can start with the creation of Asean knowledge-sharing platforms, joint investments, and policy alignment.
For the period 2026-2030 or the short term, the action agenda for the Philippines should comprise launching PPPP pilot initiatives, creating inclusive agribusiness frameworks, and identifying priority value chains.
Over the medium term, the established agribusiness and agro-industrial clusters will be scaled, while expanding farmer participation in markets. And all of these efforts should be accompanied by strengthening digital ecosystems.
The long term should result in the full transition to resilient agrifood systems and the institutionalization of PPPPs across Asean.
Also, the expected outcomes of all that I have discussed are:
– Resilient and regenerative agricultural landscapes;
– Inclusive and competitive agrifood systems;
– Increased farmer incomes and reduced rural poverty;
– Stronger Asean food security and regional trade; and
– Sustainable and climate-aligned growth.
In summary — a transformed Asean agriculture sector that is productive, inclusive, and future-ready.
And the transformation of Asean agriculture requires a paradigm shift—from fragmented production systems to integrated, inclusive, and regenerative agrifood systems.
