By Cyrus A. Natividad
Former CPU Board of Trustees Member Dr. Manuel C. Palada.
Former CPU Board of Trustees Member Dr. Manuel C. Palada was appointed Country Director of the USAID- funded Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program for the country starting this year 2024. The F2F Program aims to strengthen the involvement of the Filipino Youth as Agriculture Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOFT) through exchange of model US farmers and agriculture technical experts as volunteers.
The F2F Program will provide technical assistance from U.S. volunteer farmers and agricultural groups in the Philippines, to promote sustainable improvements in food security and agricultural production, processing, and marketing. The Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) is the lead partner for the “Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow” (ALOFT) regional F2F program for Southeast Asia.
ALOFT will partner with and support youth-led and youth-serving institutions to build more resilient and inclusive food systems in three core countries: Cambodia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. This program will integrate youth into target agricultural value chains through four areas of technical assistance: 1) climate-smart agriculture; 2) agricultural entrepreneurship and agribusinesses; 3) agricultural education, and 4) extension and advisory services.
Palada said, “These technical exchanges will contribute to our goal of generating sustainable, broad based economic growth in the agricultural sector.” He added that “We are honored to have the opportunity to continue to expand on the legacy of service of Farmer-to-Farmer with the Philippines involved in this new regional program in Southeast Asia.”
Palada will coordinate all F2F volunteer project activities within the Philippines. He will also maintain a strong working relationship with the local USAID Mission, public and private agricultural development organizations, and the NGO Community.
He looks forward to an opportune time on the part of CPU Agriculture with his appointment in the project.
Palada had been a Central Philippine University visiting professor, and member of the Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2023.