About the Group
the organization's origins
In October 2012, a group of civil society organizations (CSOs) became increasingly aware of the “corporate capture” of food in the Philippines in terms of national policy spaces and government implementation of food and agriculture programs using the free trade economic model. However, this shows the inability of the Philippine government to guarantee the conditions necessary to fulfill its human rights obligations to achieve food sovereignty, especially with the food price volatility associated with the impact of climate change and environmental crisis, including the corruption and abuse of power of government officials.
The ongoing corporate capture of food in the Philippines threatens the achievement of food sovereignty and the full emancipation of women, who are at the forefront in bringing food to the table for Filipinos. It makes all the efforts of the civil society movement toward this end a long drawn battle. Thus, from December 2011 to 2012, a series of regional workshops on the assertion of the human right to food and the identification of local initiatives to access natural resources for sustainable food security in the Philippines was conducted by the Peoples Development Institute (PDI) in Luzon, the Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao (AFRIM) and Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) in the Visayas.
This initiative culminated in a national conference sponsored by PDI and attended by 37 civil society and social movement representatives. Through policy reforms and programming, they resolved to work toward the establishment of collectively managed, socially, economically and environmentally sustainable local food systems based on agro-ecological principles, which are capable of producing and offering a diversified, safe and healthy food to all Filipinos in accordance with their cultural and religious practices to realize the vision of achieving their full human potential. In order to accomplish this, the body also resolved to establish the Koalisyon Sa Karapatan sa Sapat na Pagkain (KKSP) or the National Food Coaltion (NFC) in October 2012.
The NFC had an initial membership of 37 CSO and PO organizations in 2012 growing to 75 and now to 127 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), peoples organizations (POs) and individuals. The NFC aims to challenge the government to integrate and rationalize all existing Philippine laws and policies on the right to adequate food (RTAF) and to push for the enactment of a National Food Framework Law and identify and define tools to monitor the food programs of the government.
Mission
We work to become the country’s lead advocate on the right to adequate food, that supports freedom from hunger and injustice, supports movements pushing for equitable access to and sustainable management of natural resources and food bases, strongly defends peoples’ rights against exclusion and gender discrimination, exposes unjust and oppressive policies and practices, and strives to enhance competence in research and documentation, advocacy and campaigns for the promotion of RTAF.
Vision
We aim for a cohesive and harmonious Philippine society free from hunger and injustice, promoting cultural diversity, participatory and democratic processes and equitable and sustainable management of natural resources.
Purpose
- To lobby, advocate and campaign for the advancement of the Zero Hunger Bill and its policy implementation towards the eradication of hunger and poverty in the country;
- To push for enabling laws to fight hunger at the local, regional and national levels;
- To inform and educate Filipinos on proper food, health care and nutrition at the local level; and
- To conduct policy research and dialogue with the government and public.