Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday discussed “forests for sustainable future” with Dr. Lionel Dabbadie, the country representative for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Dabbadie, an aquaculture expert, made a courtesy call on the Vice President months after his appointment as FAO representative.
Duterte, who is also the Secretary of Education, said FAO’s project, “Forests for a Sustainable Future: Educating Children,” would create opportunities for the DepEd and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to work with the FAO.
The project’s main objective is to educate school-aged children about the importance of managing forests sustainably, and of the vital link between a healthy forest cover and a steady food supply.
The DepEd has underutilized resources, including vast open spaces that could be repurposed for agricultural activities, Duterte said.
She added: “The Department of Education, we have so many agricultural and fishery high schools that are underutilized with regard to the properties that they own.”
“I recently visited one in Leyte and they have six hectares but their demo was just one to three plots of vegetables because of budget. Many parts of open spaces are idle land,” she said.
Through interactive learning approaches and the development of strategic education modules, the project will equip younger generations with the necessary skills and knowledge to address current food production, distribution, and nutrition challenges.
It also aims to raise awareness about food security, responsible food production, reduced food wastage, and equitable access to nutritious food.