The Polytechnic University of the Philippines advances SDG 2 through AI and smart agriculture research, maintaining strict tracking of campus food waste with a low total food waste of 1,107.30 kg across a campus population of 45,665 FTEs, addressing student hunger, promoting local food sustainability, and supporting broader national hunger and food security goals. This comprehensive approach combines academic innovation with practical campus and community initiatives to ensure long-term resilience and nourishment.
Achieving Zero Hunger requires innovative and sustainable approaches to food production, agricultural productivity, and food security. Research initiatives at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines address these priorities through smart agriculture, artificial intelligence, machine learning, sustainable farming, crop protection, soil health, and resource optimization. These studies seek to increase crop yields, conserve water, improve soil fertility, and reduce agricultural losses.
Research on rice, coconut, poultry, and vegetable production further promotes sustainable food systems, improved food quality, livestock productivity, and reliable supplies of nutritious food. Digital agricultural platforms and AI-driven technologies also strengthen market access, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve the efficiency and marketability of local produce.
Taken together, these research initiatives strengthen food security and sustainable food production by improving agricultural productivity, minimizing food losses, enhancing food quality, and promoting resilient and efficient food systems. Through technology-driven and evidence-based solutions, the research contributes to improved nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and equitable access to nutritious food, supporting the achievement of SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
Advancing Zero Hunger requires sustainable agricultural practices, improved food production, and equitable access to nutritious food. The 2024 research portfolio highlights innovative approaches that strengthen food security, agricultural productivity, sustainable farming, food quality, and food access. Research on e-commerce platforms addresses agricultural product marketing and consumer access while reducing post-harvest losses.
Other studies promote soil health, crop productivity, artificial intelligence, precision harvesting, and machine learning to improve the efficiency and sustainability of small-scale farming. AI-driven harvesting and sorting technologies help reduce harvest waste, improve produce quality and marketability, and support a stable supply of nutritious vegetables.
Research on optimized fertilizer selection and machine-learning-based egg classification further contributes to sustainable food production, reduced agricultural input costs, higher crop yields, livestock productivity, and reliable protein supply. Collectively, these initiatives demonstrate how agricultural innovation, digital technologies, resource efficiency, food loss reduction, and sustainable production systems can strengthen food security and advance SDG 2: Zero Hunger.
Advancing SDG 2: Zero Hunger requires sustainable and innovative approaches to food security, agricultural productivity, food production, resource efficiency, and resilient food systems. The 2026 research portfolio focuses on strengthening agricultural enterprises through improved resource allocation, organizational innovation, and smart agricultural technologies.
Research on optimal resource allocation and organizational innovation seeks to improve farm inputs and production systems, contributing to greater food output, agricultural efficiency, and production stability. Complementing this, research on smart irrigation applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimize irrigation scheduling, increase crop yields, conserve water, and strengthen food security.
Collectively, these studies demonstrate how agricultural innovation, smart agriculture, sustainable resource management, productivity enhancement, water conservation, and resilient food production systems can contribute to sustainable agriculture and the achievement of Zero Hunger.
View all PUP Scopus Publication: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IlfCKA2HmYBtj1VdI0Xa5Onbr3PBXHSA/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111253540786016308703&rtpof=true&sd=true
Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) systematically measures and tracks campus food waste generated from food served within its facilities. Through the General Administration and Support Services (GASS) - University Catering Services Section, the University actively and systematically tracks food waste generated from all food served within university operations.
For Calendar Year 2025 (CY 2025), the university monitored monthly food waste generation alongside customer volume (PAX served) across all catering operations. Over the course of the year, the university served 138,214 total customers and recorded a total of 1,107.30 kg of food waste.
The monitored waste consisted primarily of kitchen trimmings and preparation waste generated during meal assembly, rather than uneaten plate waste. This indicates that consumer-level uneaten food is minimal, while operational kitchen processes account for the majority of recorded volume. Peak waste occurred during August (144.80kg), driven by major university events and high-volume catering demands. The lowest waste volume occurred in December (35.65kg), coinciding with the holiday break and reduced on-campus activities.
This infographic presents the official campus food waste and stakeholder population metrics of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines for Calendar Year 2025 and Academic Year 2024–2025, submitted under SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) for THE Sustainability Impact Rankings. Across a total Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) campus population of 45,665—comprising 40,886 student FTEs (89.5%), 3,806 non-teaching employees (8.3%), and 973 faculty FTEs (2.1%)—the university generated 1,107.30 kg (1.1073 metric tonnes) of total food waste, yielding an exceptionally low per capita footprint of 0.02425 kg (24.25 grams) per FTE person per year. Monthly monitoring by University Catering Services reveals that waste generation closely follows campus activity cycles, peaking during high-volume event months in July (143.05 kg) and August (144.80 kg) and dropping to its lowest point during the holiday break in December (35.65 kg), with the majority of recorded waste originating from kitchen preparation trimmings rather than uneaten plate food.
In accordance to its Institutional Framework: EO no.40 s.2025: Integrating the SDGs into the Institutional Framework of the PUP, the University actively addresses student food insecurity/hunger through its following programs:
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) advances SDG 2: Zero Hunger through its outreach initiative, Education on Wheels (EOW), which integrates food provision with mobile classroom instruction for marginalized communities. Recognizing that hunger hinders focus and academic attendance, the program serves meals and refreshments during every face-to-face class session to ensure beneficiaries are physically and mentally prepared to learn.
This initiative is made possible through strategic academe-industry partnerships, primarily with the Megaworld Foundation, which provides dedicated funding for meals throughout the Bachelor of Science in Office Administration (BSOA) program. Moving beyond temporary relief, this multi-year funding model delivers sustained food security and improved nutrition for vulnerable students. By pairing education with essential nourishment, PUP demonstrates a scalable model for ending hunger and advancing equitable community development.
Every sustainable action is a significant step toward shaping a greener, more food-secure tomorrow. The dedicated effort to merge sustainable solutions with culinary delight sparks creative innovation. This spirit was embodied on June 29, 2024, at the spectacular Eco-Eats: Cultivating Sustainable Dining Solutions for a Greener Tomorrow event at PUP M.H. Del Pilar. The event gathered the PUP Hasminian community, uniting them in the shared goal of planting seeds for a better future.
Held on February 20, 2026, the Feeding Program for PUP Student-Athletes—sponsored by the PUP Alumni Association/Foundation-USA—serves as concrete institutional evidence of the university's commitment to SDG 2: Zero Hunger (Indicator 2.3.1). Recognizing the rigorous physical demands of regular training, recovery, and athletic competitions, this targeted intervention ensures student-athletes have direct access to adequate, nutritious meals essential for their health, athletic performance, and academic engagement. By mobilizing international alumni generosity from the United States into direct student welfare support, PUP actively addresses student food insecurity, fostering solidarity and a culture of care within the university community.
The University actively ensures the provision of sustainable food choices on campus, including vegetarian and vegan food, through the diverse array of food kiosks and student-run enterprises operating within the University's Lagoon area. These selections include popular rice, vegetables, chicken, pork, and beef dishes,tailored to the varying dietary needs of the community.
These food kiosks also offers affordable food choices priced between Php 50.00 and Php 70.00, providing nutritious and accessible options for the campus community.
Aside from the food kiosks at Lagoon, The PUP Canteen and other concessionaires advance food and nutrition security by delivering a diverse range of nutritious, balanced meals accessible to the entire university community. Menus feature wholesome staples, fresh vegetables, and high-quality protein sources—including poultry and meat—all prepared through health-conscious practices that promote improved nutrition, dietary well-being, and sustainable, healthy food access.
To alleviate hunger among staff, the PUP Department of Hospitality Management under the College of Tourism, Hospitality, and Transportation Management (CTHTM) hosted "Sustainable Dining: Pitchfork to Spoon – Beyond the Boundaries of Cooking" last August 17, 2024. This university extension program is an expansion of the "Pot-to-Table" project, and successfully engaged students, faculty, staff, and community members from Barangay 630 in a shared mission to champion sustainable culinary practices, reducing food waste, and promoting resilient, locally sourced food value chains—key pillars of zero hunger and long‑term food and nutrition security.
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines, through its extension programs, actively provides local farmers and food producers with access to knowledge, skills, and technology to promote food security and sustainable agriculture. A clear demonstration of this commitment is the "TECHNO-GABAY PROJECT", an extension initiative implemented by PUP with its Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management program. This project directly engages local farmers, such as the 40-member Bagupaye Farmers Association, with the primary goal of strengthening food security for their families by promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
This project provides technical expertise in sustainable and organic agriculture and hands-on training. This includes educating farmers on modern techniques like the Minus-One-Element Technique (MOET) , relay cropping systems , and diversified farming through teaching economic diversification, where the University guides farmers in value-added processing and product development (such as radish cookies and cassava chips), creating marketable products from their harvests to diversify income sources.
Through its extension programs, the University actively provides events for local farmers and food producers to connect to a wider community, transfer knowledge, and access the University facilities to help improve their sustainable farming practices
A clear demonstration of this commitment is the "TECHNO-GABAY PROJECT", an extension initiative implemented by PUP with its Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management program. This project cultivates the farmers to further develop their technical expertise in sustainable and organic agriculture practices through hands-on training, such as the Minus-One-Element Technique (MOET) , relay cropping systems , and diversified farming. Most recently, the program has reached the Bagupaye Farmers Association comprising of 40 farmers, with the primary goal of strengthening food security for their families by promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
The project has also facilitated access to crucial resources such as quality seeds, fertilizers, agricultural tools, and product development tools, enabling farmers to optimize their production and product development.
The Polytechnic University of the Philippines advances SDG 2 by upholding a procurement policy that prioritizes the purchase of local products from sustainable Philippine sources, guided by Republic Act 9184 and the New Government Procurement Act (RA 12009). The University ensures that all competitive public biddings integrate domestic preference, allowing local bidders to receive priority when their products meet the standards and are sourced from materials grown or produced in the Philippines, as outlined in the Philippine Bidding Documents and Sections 79.1 and 79.5–79.7 of the IRR. This commitment is further emphasized in PUP’s procurement guidelines, which guarantee transparency and sustainability in accordance with the national procurement framework.
In addition to formal public procurement policies, the University actively operationalizes this through direct institutional initiatives such as Mula Anihan Patungong Pamantasan.
On October 15, 2025, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines successfully held an initiative titled "Mula Anihan Patungong Pamantasan" (From Harvest to University) as part of its grand 121st Anniversary celebration. The event brought together local farmers from San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, allowing the PUP community—both students and employees alike—to directly purchase affordable, fresh fruits and vegetables. This meaningful initiative was collaboratively organized by the:
The project served a vital dual purpose. First, it provided crucial economic solidarity and direct market access to local agricultural workers (#SupportOurLocalFarmers). Second, by bringing fresh produce directly to the campus, the university actively promoted a healthy lifestyle, food security, and well-being ("masustansyang pamumuhay at malusog na kaisipan") for its students and staff.
From the success of the October 15, 2025 "Mula Anihan Patungong Pamantasan" (From Harvest to University), it was repeated on November 28, 2025 and December 16, 2025. Through the collaboration of the PUP Teachers Union (UGPUP) and the Peasant Movement of the Philippines (KMP), the initiative aims to help farmers directly sell their produce at the university and promote various Sustainable Development Goals."
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