By Madelaine Miraflor
Actor and record producer James Reid has volunteered to be the country's ambassador for food security, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Tuesday.
(Alan Jay Jacalan of Department of Agriculture via Mads Miraflor / MANILA BULLETIN)
DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Noel Reyes said Reid, as the new ambassador of Philippine agriculture and agribusiness, joined Agriculture Secretary William Dar in the opening ceremony of Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month and the launch of the DA's Plant, Plant Plant program.
Reyes said "he (Reid) volunteered for this" and that DA will not pay for Reid's future efforts for the agency and the sector.
Reid, according to Reyes, is currently part of a group of millennials who are into hydroponics, a method of gardening and growing plants without soil and with the help of mineral nutrient solutions.
Dar said that as food security ambassador, Reid commits to inform the public on the main advocacies of the DA, specifically its campaign on ensuring sustained food security, food accessibility, and affordability; and encourage the youth and other advocates on the important roles of farmers and fishermen, their hard work, and their valuable contributions to the country.
In June 2019, the DA officially announced Robin Padilla as the official poster boy of Philippine agriculture.