Actor and singer-songwriter James Reid expressed his gratitude to the Department of Agriculture for choosing him to become a part of the team that will help promote Philippine agriculture.
The DA named Reid as the agency’s ambassador for food security during the launch of the Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month and a new planting program at the DA Central Office on Tuesday.
During the event, Reid assured the public that while he’s new to the field of agriculture, he will do his best to contribute in helping local farmers and fisherfolk.
“I’m very new to the world of agriculture but it’s my passion of sustainability that has brought me here. It’s my privilege to use my voice to support farmers and fisherfolks in the Philippines,” Reid said.
Aside from Reid, two young agricultural entrepreneurs were also introduced during the event, these are Jeffrey Oh and Fiona Faulkner.
Reid then took to Instagram to thank the agriculture agency and inform his fans of his new role.
“Let’s grooow! Thank you to the Department of Agriculture and Secretary Dar for trusting me with the role of Ambassador of Food Security. Thanks for the gift,” Reid said in the post.
“Can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working on during quarantine!” he added.
What is James Reid’s role as ambassador for food security?
Agriculture Secretary William Dar said Reid’s main job is to disseminate information about the agency’s advocacies on food security and other programs to the public, particularly to the youth.
“As food security ambassador, Reid commits to inform the public on the main advocacies of the Department specifically its campaign on ensuring sustained food security, food accessibility and affordability; and encourage the youth and other advocates on the important roles of farmers and fishers, their hard work, and their valuable contributions to the country,” Dar said on Facebook.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar and officials led the opening of the Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s…
Posted by William Dar on Monday, May 25, 2020
In a cursory check on the DA’s website, Interaksyon learned that the DA described local chief executives as “food security czars” who are expected to perform similar tasks of cascading policies from the national to the local level.
The DA has also previously urged the youth to take up jobs related to agriculture, particularly farming.
In November 2019, the agency launched an online platform called “Digital Farmers Program” where young members of the workforce could engage in farming activities.
“The average age of farmers is 57, we need to bridge that gap through engaging the younger members of the family to be interested in agriculture. Farming is not just a job for one person in the family, everyone needs to help, especially the youth,” DA Undersecretary Natividad Caballero said during the launch of the program.
DA’s plans during COVID-19
In the similar Facebook post, Dar emphasized the role of agriculture in coping with the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the economy in the near future.
“For us to rise stronger from this Covid-19 crisis, the government must encourage the development of an agriculture-driven economy,” Dar said.
“We believe that economic growth in agriculture is more effective at reducing poverty and food insecurity than growth in other sectors. Investments in agriculture can help revive food production and create jobs, following a crisis, and enable rural communities to recover, he added.
