4th ERDT Congress
4th ERDT Congress focuses on the role of S&T in
boosting Philippine Agricultural
Competitiveness and Innovation
Food security and a continuing growth in world population are two mega-needs that interact in a way that they can only become more palpable and not eclipsed by other needs. These two needs require multidisciplinary approaches, such as those that fuse science and technology with socioeconomics. For Engineering Research and Development for Technology (ERDT) to impact food security, it must combine S&T, agriculture and social and economic factors. In particular, inclusive growth means among other things equal access to markets, opportunities and resources. The role of the ERDT is to develop not only technologies but also a framework (e.g., intellectual property) by which these solutions can be made available to all sectors of society.
DOST Secretary Hon. Mario G. Montejo shares Philippine S&T programs and projects for agricultural competitiveness and innovation.
Recognizing the pressing concerns of the agricultural sector and the possible contributions that the science and engineering community can provide, the ERDT with its two lead agricultural consortium universities Central Luzon State University and University of the Philippines Los Baños successfully organized and conducted 4th ERDT Congress last 20 July 2015 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City to initiate discussions and collaborations to tackle various efforts done and needed to be undertaken to boost Philippine agricultural competitiveness.
The Congress’ theme was "Agriculture and Science and Technology for Inclusive Growth.”
The Congress started through a welcome remarks delivered by ERDT Program Leader Dr. Aura C. Matias and opening messages by the Department of Science and Technology Secretary Hon. Mario G. Montejo and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) Acting Executive Director Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora.
Among the experts who delivered plenary speeches in this year’s Congress were Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization Director Rex L. Bingabing who discussed Farm Mechanization for Food Security, Mie University Professor Emeritus Makoto Hoki who talked about Agricultural Mechanization in the Asian Region, and Phil-LiDAR 2 Project Program Leader Ariel C. Blanco who tackled LiDAR and Geospatial Applications for Agricultural Land Resources Management.
Winners of Posters Competition pose for a group shot with PCAARRD Acting Exec. Dir. Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora and ERDT Program Leader Dr. Aura C. Matias.
The Congress was tagged as one of the official pre-events of the National Science and Technology Week 2015. It ended up with the awarding of Best Posters and closing remarks delivered by ERDT UPLB Project Leader Dr. Arnold R. Elepaño.
