ACHIEVING FOOD SUFFICIENCY IN 2030 AND BEYOND: THE FUTURE OF ALTERNATIVE FOOD CROPS AND PERI-URBAN AREAS IN DISTRICT 1, ZAMBOANGA CITY, PHILIPPINES
Authors: DAEL, R.R.; MINSIONG, T.L.; TABAL, E.P. AND BENDIJO, S.A.
DAEL, R.R.: Graduate students, College of Agriculture, Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City, Philippines.
MINSIONG, T.L.: Graduate students, College of Agriculture, Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City, Philippines.
TABAL, E.P.: Faculty, Graduate School, College of Agriculture, Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City, Philippines.
BENDIJO, S.A.: Faculty, Graduate School, College of Agriculture, Western Mindanao State University, Zamboanga City, Philippines.
ABSTRACT
Zamboanga City’s agricultural sector currently faces the daunting task of feeding more than 1.0 million residents amidst a critical rice collapse to just 13% sufficiency rate resulting to high rice importation rates sourced from neighbouring provinces and abroad. Aggressive land use changes (LUCs) and land conversion (LCs) for residential and industrial expansion has created a monthly deficit of 9,011.0 mt, or this is 300.34 mt day-1 of milled rice, necessitating a shift toward alternative caloric food crops (ACFCs). This study evaluates the potential of peri-urban areas for ACFCs within District 1, Zamboanga City, Philippines, an area that houses 143,047 people (28,609 households). Using a descriptive research design through a structured questionnaire and purposive sampling procedure, results indicate that 43.5% (3,148.3 has) of the combined areas remain potential zone for agriculture with high potential utilization for growing ACFCs. However, only 14% of this available land is currently utilized for food production, suggesting significant resource under-optimization. The production of alternative caloric staples such as corn, cassava, banana, and sweet potato yielded a cumulative of 2,831.3 mt cropping-1. Corn dominates this output at 38.2% (1,081.6 mt), followed by cassava 34.0% (962.6 mt), banana 26.7% (756.0 mt), and sweet potato 1.1% (31.1 mt) with higher yield and caloric content than rice. Forward-looking linear optimization modelling reveals that achieving full 100% resource utilization of these available lands by 2030 could expand alternate carbohydrate yields up to 20,223.21 mt per season, systematically insulating the district against external supply chain failures. Achieving food sufficiency by 2030 and beyond maybe supported through land-crop suitability analysis, at the same time protecting the remaining agricultural sub-zones from further urban encroachment. Strengthening rural-urban partnerships and promoting climate-resilient cultivars remain the most viable pathways for stabilizing Zamboanga City’s future food systems.
Keywords: Food security, alternative food crops, caloric energy, Zamboanga City, Philippines