Blog Alliance backs food systems transformation for healthier diets in the Philippines

by Pham Thi Mai Huong, Thanh Thi Duong

onJuly 17, 2025

As the Philippine government gears up for a bolstered and integrated approach to sustainable food systems transformation, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT extends its expertise to the country’s Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) to develop adaptive and data-driven responses to address food system challenges.

Through the ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food and Nutrition Security Initiative, the Alliance commits to strengthen partnership with DOST-FNRI by sharing experiences on Vietnam’s food system innovations, governance models, and policy frameworks during the delegation’s visit to Hanoi on 16-20 June.

Key innovations shared included:

Food systems assessments along rural urban transects in Vietnam, conducted under the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), showcasing how integrated data can inform transformation strategies
Advanced data analysis methodologies from the SHiFT Initiative and Asian Mega-Deltas Initiative
Innovative approaches to study the relationships between food retail environments and consumer behavior in diverse community settings
Recent policy research supporting food system change

Food Systems Profile - Along a rural-urban transect in North Vietnam

Partial food systems baseline assessment at the Vietnam benchmark sites

Alliance backs food systems transformation for healthier diets in the Philippines - Image 1

The visit laid the foundation for potential collaboration between the two institutions to advance food systems transformation across ASEAN countries. Through the ASEAN-CGIAR Regional Program’s Intervention Package 8 on Food Systems Transformation for More Nutritious and Healthy Diets, the Alliance would embark on a joint effort with DOST-FNRI (through the PALIGID Program) to co-develop a national-level food systems dashboard for the Philippines. The dashboard will provide insights into the key drivers of food systems and identify areas for collaboration towards food system transformation in the archipelagic Southeast Asian country.

As a next step, the two institutions plan to co-organize a workshop to gather expert feedback on the food systems dashboard. A regional analysis involving food systems dashboards from Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines is planned for later this year.

Meanwhile, partners are actively working to formalize the collaboration and co-design research initiatives that advance the ASEAN-CGIAR agenda on food systems transformation.

For more information about the ASEAN-CGIAR Innovate for Food and Nutrition Security – Intervention Package 8 (IP8), visit ASEAN-CGIAR - Nutritional Transformation or contact our regional team, Dr. Ricardo Hernandez and Ms. Huynh Thi Thanh Tuyen.