Empowering Filipino Farmers: Reinvigorating Agriculture in the Philippines through Digital Tools
Friday, 06 February 2026 | 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Room 140, HNES Building, Keele Campus, York University and virtually via Zoom
With Maria Victoria Espaldon, School of Environmental Science and Management, University of the Philippines, Los Baños
The Philippines’ extreme vulnerability to climate change impacts small scale farmers in particular. In this context, Project SARAI (Smarter Approaches to Reinvigorate Agriculture as an Industry in the Philippines) is a national initiative to support the resilience and sustainability of farming. Using remote sensing and GIS, mobile applications, climate and weather information, and precision agriculture, the project seeks reduce climate risks in the agro-fisheries sector. A central role is given to capacity building and the formation of workable networks among farmers, farmer associations, local government units, national agencies, and state universities.
Dr. Maria Victoria Espaldon is Professor and UP Scientist at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. She has a PhD in Geography from the University of Guelph, Ontario, and a prolific record of research and publication on community-based environmental management, climate change adaptation, and sustainability science related to agriculture and fisheries. A former Dean and Vice-Chancellor, she is now the lead for Project SARAI. She is the author or co-author of over 150 journal articles, and the editor of numerous book collections, including the award-winning volume Impacts of Climate Change in Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Philippines (2015).
Virtual attendees can register at this link.
This is the third event in the York University’s Canadian Southeast Asian Studies Initiative (CSEASI) Research Colloquium 2025–26 with support from the Henry Luce Foundation, CSEASI and the following York University units: Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, York Centre for Asian Research, Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change and the Graduate Programme in Geography.
