PAA President Dr. Sanchez Highlights Edible Landscaping as a Driver for NSA at PANCON 2026
Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr., Professor 12 at the Institute of Crop Science, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) and President of the Philippine Association of Agriculturists, Inc. (PAA), served as a resource person during the Philippine Association of Nutrition, Inc. Conference (PANCON) 2026 held last 18-20 August 2026.
Addressing the intersections of urban agriculture, health, and urban design, Dr. Sanchez presented Edible Landscaping (EL) as a practical strategy to advance Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) in urban and peri-urban spaces.
In his address, Dr. Sanchez gave a spotlight on the country's double burden of malnutrition, advocating for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture to prioritize dietary diversity and food fortification. He championed edible landscaping with local crops in urban spaces, calling for cross-sectoral collaboration to utilize idle land for functional food production.
Dr. Sanchez was joined by Dr. Leocadio S. Sebastian of the Development Academy of the Philippines and Ms. Czarina Blythe Brodit-Valeros of Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation for PANCON Technical Session 2 on Sustainable Agriculture and Nutrition Security, featuring meaningful insights from leading experts on food systems and nutrition. The session was convened and moderated by Ms. Maria Lourdes A. Vega.
The PAA would like to thank PANCON for an opportunity of knowledge sharing and academic discourse. We wish both Associations mutual successes!
