Philippines proposes geofencing 3m ha of farmland to protect it from solar encroachment

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has proposed geofencing around 3 million hectares of agricultural land, particularly rice-growing areas, to prevent them from being converted into solar farms. The Department of Agriculture will digitally map priority agricultural zones a

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has proposed geofencing around 3 million hectares of agricultural land, particularly areas planted to rice, to prevent the loss of key growing areas to solar farms. Mr. Laurel met with Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin to discuss ways to expand solar energy capacity without sacrificing land deemed critical to food production.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it plans to digitally map and establish geographic boundaries around priority agricultural areas, guiding energy developers on where their projects should not be located. Mr. Laurel said the DA wants flat land suitable for growing rice to be reserved for agricultural use.

The DA will also identify between 1,000 to 2,000 priority agricultural areas and cross-check them against current and awarded energy projects to prevent conflict and overlaps. Mr. Laurel asked the Department of Energy (DoE) to provide a list of such projects.

The DA and the DoE are in discussions with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on whether savings under the green energy option program can be reflected in electricity rates for qualified agricultural users. The two departments are planning to sign a memorandum of agreement in October to formalize the partnership.

Potential beneficiaries of the partnership include irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities, rice mills, cold storage plants, slaughterhouses, farms, fishponds, and other food production operations. Agriculture Undersecretary Roger V. Navarro and Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevarra have been tasked to develop a Farm-to-Energy Framework with the ERC to explore how farmers and fisherfolk could benefit from renewable energy.

“The framework will help proponents under the Agricultural Energy category lower electricity costs, generate savings, and strengthen incomes across the sector,” Mr. Navarro said. Mr. Laurel said energy security cannot come at the cost of food security. “The country must be able to keep the lights on without putting at risk the land that keeps food on tables,” Mr. Laurel said in a statement. “Our goal now is to ensure that both these pressing needs are addressed in a way that benefits the country without sacrificing one for the other,” he added.