More than 700 Filipinos, led by labor leaders Leody de Guzman and Atty. Luc Espiritu, staged a protest on October 21, 2024, in front of the Department of Agriculture headquarters on Quezon Elliptical Road, Quezon City.
The protest was part of a larger series of Asia-wide demonstrations, calling on governments across the region to establish sustainable, climate-resilient food systems that ensure adequate and affordable food for all.
The demonstrators emphasized the urgent need to address the worsening effects of climate change on the agricultural sector, citing extreme weather events like typhoons, floods, and landslides, which have led to increased food insecurity and billions in damages.
This mobilization was spearheaded by the Asian Peoples' Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and was held in tandem with the UN Committee on World Food Security's annual plenary session. Governments are expected to discuss and endorse global food security policies during this session, which also marks the 20th anniversary of the Right to Food Guidelines, a UN initiative to ensure sustainable access to food.
Simultaneous protests were held in countries including Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, all led by APMDD. These protests also coincided with the Annual Meeting of the World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), as campaigners criticized the promotion of neoliberal economic policies that they argue have undermined food systems in the Global South.
Key demands raised by the protesters include the return of food, land, and water systems to the people, reparations for harmful policies, and the cancellation of unsustainable debts to free up resources for climate adaptation and essential services.
As part of the buildup toward COP29, campaigners also demanded that governments in the Global North pay climate finance reparations for the damage inflicted on food systems in the Global South.
Lidy Nacpil, APMDD's regional coordinator, stressed the devastating impact of the climate crisis on farmers and fisherfolk. In September alone, Typhoon Yagi killed over 800 people in Southeast Asia and caused $15.8 billion in damages. Earlier in 2024, the El Niño phenomenon resulted in almost 9.89 billion pesos in agricultural losses in the Philippines, primarily affecting rice farmers.
