And the latest GFSI report giving a low score of 6 for GDP per capita clearly shows that majority of households may not have enough purchasing power for food, including those of smallholder farmer and fishers (ironically). A low score of 19.1 for protein quality also means poor households do not have access to foods offering protein, which is important for children in the formative years and for people who have to work hard, including our smallholder farmers and fishers. And there lies the paradox of Philippine agriculture — most smallholder farmers and fishers still live in poverty and could not afford enough food for themselves and their families.

Dar, W. (2018, October 26). Food security and agriculture R&D. The Manila Times, p. B6.