Filipinos eating more but growing less

Stagnant farms linked to widening rice gap

Ateneo de Manila University

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

In the ten years leading up to 2023, total production of palay (unmilled rice) grew just 9 percent, from 18.4 to 20.1 million metric tons, even as rice consumption and the population itself continued to rise. Rice farmland barely expanded, increasing by just 1 percent (from 4.7 to 4.8 million hectares), while average yields improved by only 7 percent, from 3.9 to 4.2 metric tons per hectare.

view more 

Credit: Bartelet et al, 2025

As of 2022 alone, Filipinos were eating 2.3 million metric tons more rice than the country produced—an 18 percent shortfall that has locked the Philippines into deeper dependence on imported rice despite years of government programs to boost local harvests.

This widening gap is the focus of new research from Ateneo de Manila University’s John Gokongwei School of Management and Department of Environmental Science. They found that national rice output has been largely stagnant since 2017, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

In the ten years leading up to 2023, total production of palay (unmilled rice) grew just 9 percent, from 18.4 to 20.1 million metric tons, even as rice consumption and the population itself continued to rise. Rice farmland barely expanded, increasing by just 1 percent (from 4.7 to 4.8 million hectares), while average yields improved by only 7 percent, from 3.9 to 4.2 metric tons per hectare.

The myth of urbanization

Contrary to the common belief that urbanization encroaches on farmland and takes away farmland resources, the researchers did not find strong evidence that city expansion alone explains farmland stagnation. Instead, they point to a combination of limited farmland expansion, slow yield growth, climate shocks, and uneven public investment in rice areas as the main constraints on domestic production.

This is borne out by sharp regional contrasts that emerged from the data. On the one hand, from 2018 to 2023, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) saw rice production decline by 15 percent and 11 percent, respectively, largely due to rice farmland loss; stagnant yields; repeated typhoons and droughts; and competition as farmers divert land use to other, more profitable crops. 

And yet, on the other hand, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) increased its rice output by 40 percent, while Cagayan Valley (Region II) and Ilocos (Region I) posted gains of 27 percent and 16 percent, respectively. These gains are linked to expanding irrigated areas, better yields, and support programs such as improved seed, farm mechanization, and targeted regional initiatives. 

Moreover, seed programs to help ensure robust crops and mechanization aid towards improving rice harvesting and processing have helped boost yield, while infrastructure expansion and regional government policies have helped with farmland expansion. In the particular case of the BARMM, increased rice yields are linked to dedicated investments in rice infrastructure on top of peace dividends in the wake of improved political stability in the region.

Better infrastructure and support needed

Despite the establishment and subsequent extension until 2031 of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) under the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203), the authors note that national programs alone have not been enough to lift productivity in lagging regions. 

The successes of the BARMM, Cagayan Valley, and Ilocos may provide insights toward boosting rice production in other regions; and the experiences from less successful regions may give lessons toward avoiding the same declines elsewhere. Closing the country’s growing rice deficit will require regionally tailored, climate-resilient strategies: stronger irrigation systems, better-targeted support services, and financial measures that lower farmers’ costs, according to the Ateneo researchers. The researchers expressed optimism that, with the right complement of policies and investments, local rice production can still grow and help narrow the country’s dependence on imported grain.

Henry A. Bartelet, Alenn Jhulia D. Prodigalidad, Janelle S. Dy, and Jan Gabriel N. Manzano published their paper, Understanding rice production stagnation in the Philippines: Regional evidence and development implications, in the open-access journal PLOS One.

 

For interview requests and other inquiries, please email media.research@ateneo.edu. Visit archium.ateneo.edu for more information about our latest research and innovations.

---

Journal

PLOS One

DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0335344 

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Understanding rice production stagnation in the Philippines: Regional evidence and development implications

Eating alone linked to poorer nutrition in older adults

Flinders University

Older adults who regularly eat meals alone are more likely to experience poorer nutrition and health outcomes than those who share meals with others, new research by Flinders University has found.

The systematic review, published in the journal Appetite, collated findings from 20 international studies examining the relationship between eating alone and measurable health outcomes among community-living adults aged 65 years and over.

The research found consistent associations between eating alone and poorer diet quality, reduced intake of key food groups such as fruit, vegetables and meat, and an increased risk of weight loss and frailty.

Lead author Caitlin Wyman, an Accredited Practising Dietitian and PhD candidate in Flinders’ Caring Futures Institute, says the findings highlight the importance of social connections for older people, especially at mealtimes.

“Food is more than the nutritional benefit it provides. Sharing a meal is an important social activity that can influence appetite, dietary variety, and overall wellbeing,” says Ms Wyman, from Flinders’ College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

“We knew from previous research that feelings of loneliness and social isolation can contribute to reduced food intake, but we had yet to explore the nutritional and physical outcomes of older adults eating alone versus with others.”

Drawing on data from over 80,000 older adults across 12 countries, the review revealed that the social setting of eating can have wide-ranging impacts.
 
While a small number of studies found no difference in nutritional outcomes, the majority showed that eating alone was linked to poorer food choices and lower intake of protein-rich foods, which are important for maintenance of muscle and functional ability. 

Some studies also found that eating alone was associated with a greater likelihood of weight loss and an elevated risk of frailty.

The authors say these findings point to mealtime behaviour as a potentially modifiable risk factor for poor nutrition in older age, amongst Australia’s ageing population.

“We know that ageing brings physiological changes such as reduced hunger cues and altered taste, but our findings suggest that social factors are equally important,” says Ms Wyman.

“Eating together fosters connection, enjoyment and nourishment. Encouraging opportunities for shared meals, whether that’s with family, friends, or community programs, could help improve food intake, nutritional status and quality of life for older adults living at home.”

Co-author and Flinders University researcher and Accredited Practising Dietitian Dr Alison Yaxley says the review supports integrating social and nutritional screening into routine aged care and primary healthcare practices.

“Simple questions about mealtime habits could help identify people at higher nutritional risk,” says Dr Yaxley, from the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. 

“By recognising the link between social isolation and nutrition, health professionals can connect older adults with community meal programs or social dining opportunities that have the potential to make a real difference.”

The authors suggest that community-based initiatives, such as neighbourhood meal groups, intergenerational dining programs, or local café partnerships, could help reduce the prevalence of eating alone among older Australians. 

“The recent aged care reforms present a great opportunity to integrate food and nutrition into home-based aged care in Australia and optimise the nutritional status and overall health of the growing number of older adults living in our community,” says Ms Wyman. 

Further research is needed to explore what strategies can best encourage regular shared meals in this population and how they can be best implemented.

The paper, ‘Associations between nutritional and physical outcomes of community-dwelling older adults eating alone versus with others: A systematic review’ by Caitlin Wyman, Jolene Thomas, Michael Lawless and Alison Yaxley, is published in Appetite. DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.108327
 

---

Journal

Appetite

DOI

10.1016/j.appet.2025.108327 

Method of Research

Systematic review

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Associations between nutritional and physical outcomes of community-dwelling older adults eating alone versus with others: A systematic review

 

Could a child have painted that? Jackson Pollock's famous pour-painting has child-like characteristics, study shows

Researchers find adults paint richer, more varied trajectories than children, but paintings of the latter share characteristics with famous work by expressionists, including Jackson Pollock

Frontiers

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

During the 'dripfest' experiment adults and children were asked to recreate a painting in Pollock’s style.

view more 

Credit: Richard Taylor

What makes art art? Is it the method or the creator? Does it need a color palette and oil paints, or a canvas laid flat on the floor and paint splattered across it? Does it require a critically acclaimed painter, or a toddler with crayons? And when it comes to the artist, can we even reliably tell if an artwork has been created by children or adults? In a new Frontiers in Physics study, researchers in the US put it to the test.

“Our study shows that the artistic patterns generated by children are distinguishable from those created by adults when using the pouring technique made famous by Jackson Pollock,” said senior author Prof Richard Taylor, a professor of physics, psychology, and art at the University of Oregon. “Remarkably, our findings suggest that children’s paintings bear a closer resemblance to Pollock paintings than those created by adults.”

An act of balance

Fractals are all around us, they are patterns that repeat at different scale sizes. We find them in trees, clouds, and mountains, but also in many artworks from various cultures. Fractal dimensions describe the complexity of fractals. Here, the researchers used fractal analysis and lacunarity analysis to describe the paintings characteristics. Fractal analysis measures the scaling behavior of paint distributed in space. Lacunarity focuses on variations in the gaps between paint clusters.

18 children (aged four to six) and 34 adults (aged 18 to 25) were recruited to recreate paintings like Jackson Pollock’s by splattering diluted paint onto sheets of paper placed on the floor. The age groups were chosen because adults and children are at different stages of their biomechanical balance development, which may influence pouring technique.

The study started in 2002, was picked up in 2018, and now, the team has reunited to finalize it. “We are very happy that after all this time we are finally publishing the results. Luckily, they are even more relevant today than 20 years ago,” said Taylor. “The Covid-19 pandemic saw an increase in stress levels across society and fractals have been shown to be an effective way of reducing stress through their aesthetic impact.”

Analyses showed that adults’ paintings had higher paint densities and wider paint trajectories, which can be understood as a painting’s ‘bones’. Kids’ paintings, on the other hand, were characterized by smaller fine scale patterns and there were more gaps between paint clusters. They showed simpler, one-dimensional trajectories that changed direction less often compared to the richer, more varied trajectories of adults. These differences may originate from the artists’ biomechanical balance. While the current study did not measure balance directly, including motion sensors while artists paint in future studies could confirm this, the authors said. In future studies, the team also plans to apply lacunarity analysis to a broad range of artists.

Nice to look at

Some of the paintings created by adults were analyzed for perceived complexity, visual interest, and pleasantness. The results showed that those paintings with more space between and less complex fractal patterns were perceived as more pleasant. Children’s paintings, although not analyzed for pleasantness here, also have those characteristics.

Pleasantness may have to do with familiarity, the researchers said. So far, studies have focused on a fractal dimension on which the most prevalent fractals in natural scenery can be found. “Our previous research indicates that our visual systems have become ‘fluent’ in the visual languages of fractals through millions of years of exposure to them in natural scenery,” Taylor explained. “This ability to process their visual information triggers an aesthetic response. Intriguingly, this means that the children’s poured paintings are more attractive than the adult ones.”

Expressionist or kid?

The team also analyzed two expressionist works for comparison: Jackson Pollock’s ‘Number 14,’ and Max Ernst’s ‘Young Man Intrigued by the Flight of a Non-Euclidean Fly.’

They found that Ernst’s fractal dimension values lay within the children’s distribution, which might be because the pendulum he used to paint may have partially suppressed natural body motions. The values of fractal dimensions found in Pollock’s painting lay within the adult distribution – but just so. The values came close to the children’s range, which is consistent with Pollock’s limited biomechanical balance, the team said.

“Along with Claude Monet’s cataracts, Vincent van Gogh’s psychological challenges, and Willem de Kooning’s Alzheimer’s condition, art historical discussions of Pollock’s limited biomechanical balance serve as a reminder that conditions that present challenges in aspects of our daily lives can lead to magnificent achievements in art,” concluded Taylor.

Example of pour-painting created by an adult during the Dripfest experiments.

Credit

Fairbanks et al., 2025.

Example of pour-painting created by a child during the Dripfest experiments

Image of Pollock’s ‘Number 14, 1948’

Image of Max Ernst’s ‘Young Man Intrigued by the Flight of a Non-Euclidean Fly.’

Credit

Fairbanks et al., 2025.

Journal

Frontiers in Physics

DOI

10.3389/fphy.2025.1673780 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

A Question of Jackson Pollock's Balance: Using Lacunarity and Fractal Analysis to Distinguish Poured Paintings by Adults and Children

Article Publication Date

20-Nov-2025

 

Broad support for lethal control of wild deer among nature organisation subscribers

Bangor University

FacebookXLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

The impact of deer overgrazing on woodland ground vegetation inside (left) and outside (right) of an enclosure with deer-proof fence’.

view more 

Credit: Nick Reed-Beale

There is broad support for regulated lethal control of wild deer to reduce their numbers and impacts among subscribers of nature organisations in England and Wales, a new study has found.

According to research led by Bangor University and published in People and Nature, it was the most supported and widely used deer management practice.

The authors of the study believe that the findings might help nature organisations and decision makers feel more confident about recommending its use.

Researchers at Bangor University and the universities of Reading and Southampton co-designed a questionnaire with nature organisations Forest Research, Woodland Trust, Sylva Foundation and Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to investigate perceptions toward wild deer and their management.

Of the 3,936 people surveyed, 85% either supported or strongly supported lethal control, followed by tree guards (82%), and deer fencing (69%).

The questionnaire was distributed to subscribers of five national nature organisations. Two of these organisations (Sylva Foundation; The Woodland Trust) focus on woodland management, while three (British Association for Shooting and Conservation; British Deer Society; Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust) focus on wildlife management.

The research team, which also included academics from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and University of Leeds, collected data from farmers, land managers, deer stalkers, foresters, conservationists, and people not involved in land management.

Wild deer populations are increasing across the northern hemisphere, posing challenges to the environment and people. As well as damaging food crops and trees, increased deer numbers are causing significant damage to the ecology of our woodlands reducing the diversity of plants, insects and birds that use these habitats. There are also concerns about more deer-vehicle collisions and disease transmission to livestock and humans.

In addition, increasing deer numbers present a challenge to UK government policies aiming to expand woodland cover and transition to net zero by 2050.

The work was funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) project iDeer, which is led by Dr Becks Spake, Associate Professor in Climate and Environmental Change at the University of Southampton. The purpose of the project is to enhance strategic woodland creation and management that minimises deer impacts.

Postdoctoral Research Officer at Bangor University Dr Elena Cini said, “Increased densities and distributions of wild deer can threaten woodland creation and resilience and impact biodiversity through intensive grazing and browsing. This presents a challenge to government policies aiming to expand woodland cover and transition to net zero by 2050. Since wild deer are highly mobile, strategies to manage their populations, such as lethal control should be implemented across large areas to be effective. This requires cooperation between landowners and widespread public support.”

Dr Freya St. John, Reader in Conservation Science at Bangor University said,

“Most respondents reported having wild deer on their property, and experiencing deer impacts, such as damage to trees and hedges. Lethal control received strong support across our sample. However, differing opinions on deer and land management make it challenging for neighbours to collaborate on managing deer. Broad support for lethal control could help nature organisations and decision makers feel more confident about recommending its use, since they often depend on public backing.”

Dr Becks Spake, Associate Professor in Climate and Environmental Change at the University of Southampton said, “Deer hold multiple values across society; ecological, cultural, aesthetic, and economic, yet they can also pose real challenges to tree planting. As we expand woodland creation to meet net zero targets, understanding how different groups navigate this tension is crucial. Our research shows that while there's broad support for management interventions, including lethal control, differing perspectives between neighbours can make collaboration challenging. Understanding diverse views is essential for developing landscape-scale strategies that work for diverse stakeholders and achieve woodland creation targets.”

Notes to editors

Image

Caption: The impact of deer overgrazing on woodland ground vegetation inside (left) and outside (right) of an enclosure with deer-proof fence’.

Credit: Nick Reed-Beale

DOI and URL

The DOI for the paper will be: 10.1002/pan3.70193

The URL for the paper will be: https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.70193

 

---

Journal

People and Nature

DOI

10.1002/pan3.70193 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Broad support for lethal control of wild deer among subscribers of nature organisations in England and Wales

Article Publication Date

20-Nov-2025