Dr. Leonardo A. Gonzales

Founding President and Chairman
STRIVE/SIKAP Foundation Inc.

Leonardo A. Gonzales obtained his PhD in Agricultural Economics from the University of Tennessee under a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship. He was a former Liaison Scientist for Asia cum Research Fellow of the International Food Policy Research Institute, USA, and Agricultural Economist of the International Rice Research Institute. He has authored eight books on rice and corn policy and has written over 180 technical articles in agricultural policy, agribusiness, and agribiotechnology. Dr. Gonzales has familiarity and technical knowledge on the issues concerning the socioeconomic impacts of living modified organisms (LMOs). In addition he has a vast experience in the field of biosafety, having served as the Community Representative of the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP) from 2000 to 2008 and of the DOST-Biosafety Committee from 2009 to the present. He is the founding President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Society Towards Reinforcing Inherent Viability for Enrichment (Strive) Inc.—a non-profit, non-stock organization engaged in policy research, advocacy, and values education. The foundation’s focus are on expanding farmers’ access to the resources they need to create sustainable livelihoods by providing technomanagerial assistance to existing local organizations; advocating for economic policies through research on grains, high-value commercial crops, livestock, fisheries, and other agribusiness enterprises that maximize farmers’ economic opportunities; building a knowledge base on effective strategies for agricultural development by forging  partnerships and establishing linkages among national agencies, NGOs, private, and international institutions.

Session 1D: Socioeconomic Impact of Biotech Corn in the Philippines: Implications on ASEAN Economic Integration