EU-FPAVAS is funded by the European Union under its Food Facility – Facility for Rapid Response to Soaring Food Prices in Developing Countries. SEARCA implements this project together with the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development (CIRAD) and the six provincial governments of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro, in association with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP). The EU-FPAVAS project has a duration of 22 months from January 2010 to October 2011.
In general, the project aims to enhance food security and reduce poverty of poor families particularly the vulnerable sectors in the target provinces to buffer the effects of volatile food prices and climate change. The specific objectives of the project are as follows:
- Increase rice production of small farmers;
- Enhance productivity of upland agriculture through crop diversification;
- Increase aquaculture yield in both coastal and inland waters;
- Identify and document indigenous practices used by farmers and fisher folk that help conserve resources;
- Understand and mitigate the risks and effects of climate change phenomena, and develop strategies and plan to help reduce its impacts especially on agricultural production.
