How are rice farmers faring in the Philippines?
Rice is more than a staple in the Philippines — it’s a measure of well-being and security. But decades of government policies built around industrial-scale production have struggled to deliver self-sufficiency in a country where rice farming is overwhelmingly smallholder-based. As farmers contend with debt, land insecurity, and environmental vulnerability, are current strategies fit for purpose? Or does the future of food security lie in approaches that start with the realities of small-scale farming? Dr Eric Gutierrez and Prof Wolfram Dressler, both social geography researchers from the University Melbourne, join host Sami Shah to examine the complex realities of rice farming in the Philippines. Prof Wolfram Dressler's recent book on the topic is For the Sake of Forests and Gods: Governing Life and Livelihood in the Philippine Uplands , Cornell University Press, 2025. https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501779268/for-the-sake-of-forests-and-gods/#bookTabs=1 An Asia Institute podcast . Produced and edited by profactual.com . Music by audionautix.com .