Former DA chief leads Inanglupa movement

MANILA, Philippines - Former Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar is spearheading a social movement, called “Inanglupa,” that advocates an inclusive, science-based, climate-resilient and market-oriented Philippine agriculture by the year 2020 and beyond.

“Our movement will complement and enhance efforts of government – particularly the departments of agriculture (DA), environment and natural resources (DENR) and science and technology (DOST) – local government units, the private sector, academe and farmers’ groups to attainfood and nutrition security, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability,” said Dr. Dar, founder and president of Inanglupa, during its launch, April 10 at the DA-BSWM in Quezon City.

“Through Inanglupa or Mother Earth, we will help empower small farmers in marginal, rainfed and upland areas, enabling them to adopt natural resource management technologies such as soil and water management, and rainfall harvesting to nurture their crops and ensure they have the needed macro and micro elements for productive and sustainable growth,” added Dr. Dar, who is serving his third and last five-year term as director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), based in India.

His group has crafted an Inanglupa roadmap to attain its vision of a new Philippine agriculture by the year 2020 and beyond, with five development outcomes: food sufficiency, ensuring nutritional security, increasing per capita income, climate-resilient agriculture, and social development.

“These goals could be achieved by partnering with concerned agencies like the DA, DENR and DOST and other stakeholders to pursue an innovative agenda,” said Dar, adding that Inanglupa Movement Inc. was duly registered with the Securies and Exchange Commission on Jan. 17, 2014.

He said the agenda include: natural resource management like land use plan, soil and commodity mapping, and water management; championing appropriate policies; knowledge and information sharing; building climate-resilient communities; inclusive market-oriented agriculture; environmental protection; and education and capacity building of farmers’ groups, rural women, youth and landless farmers.

“We therefore call on all concerned agriculture industry stakeholders, advocates, farmers, entrepreneurs, local agriculture officials, technicians and extension workers, and students to join Inanglupa, and move towards achieving a new Philippine agriculture by 2020 and beyond,” Dr. Dar said.