Agrifood Systems Analytics Laboratory launched

The online launch of the Agrifood Systems Analytics Laboratory

Organizers and participants to the 1st Agrifood Systems Analytics Data Science Workshop and Hackathon

The Agrifood Systems Analytics Laboratory, under the project "Developing a multi-criteria index for identifying and prioritizing micronutrient-rich neglected and underutilized crops," was launched on September 7, 2023.

The laboratory aims to promote neglected and underutilized crops to address food shortages and malnutrition leading to outcomes such as sustainability, agribiodiversity, and protection of soil health and natural resources.

It is funded by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) and implemented by UPSTREAM Foundation, Inc., and the University of the Philippines Mindanao.

The core team is led by the Principal Investigator, Mr. Luis Atonio Hualda (SOM Adjunct Faculty), with the assistance of Assoc. Prof. Vladimer Kobayashi (CSM Faculty), Ms. Marilou Montiflor (SOM University Researcher), and Assoc. Prof. Jackie Lou Tagubase (CSM Faculty). Other researchers in the team include Leigh Blanche Joville, Kieffer Arben Go, Paula Marielle Elises, and Krakauer Jon Bustamante.

"I am proud of the partnership between our two colleges, the School of Management and the College of Science and Mathematics," said Chancellor Murao. "Your interdisciplinary collaboration is a fine demonstration of the unified efforts of the University to contribute to the sustainable development of Mindanao and the country.

"There are 29,070 edible but underutilized plant species worldwide. However, we are currently focused on only 30 plant species to feed the world. In this lab, the use of data analytics is a powerful tool that can provide speedy and evidence-based identification of the right crops for adoption and utilization," she said.

"This AgriFood Systems Analytics Laboratory we launch today can unlock the potential of underutilized crops to help end hunger and malnutrition. This is especially needed here in the resource-rich but socioeconomically challenged region of Mindanao. The outputs of this Laboratory will contribute to the University's efforts toward the Sustainable Development Goals of Zero Hunger, Good Health, and Well-Being for Mindanao and beyond," she said.

The School of Management's former dean and university chancellor Sylvia Concepcion and current dean Aurelia Luzviminda Gomez also gave messages at the launch.   

In addition, the same team organized the 1st Agrifood Systems Analytics Data Science Workshop and Hackathon on 11, 18, and 25 September 2023, at the CHSS Cultural Complex, UP Mindanao. The event is under the UP Mindanao Agrifood Systems Analytics Laboratory. A total of 24 participants attended the workshop.