Organic agriculture in PH: No funding, no plans

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The Philippines needs an organic agriculture program that allows and promotes a gradual, calibrated reduction of chemical inputs and progressively transitions to a more robust or fully organic regime.

Philippine laws and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements provide that “organic conversion” starts when a farmer stops using chemicals and concludes with certification of his farm to be 100 percent organic, or chemical-free, after a rigorous process.

As a result, food supply could be at risk unless the country imports 5 to 6 million tons of well-milled rice that would cost P175 billion to P210 billion at P35 per kilo of rice. We emphasize farmer-made compost or humus, because farmers buying it will need about P7,000 per hectare . That is too costly and unaffordable too!This would require the Department of Agriculture and local government units to provide technical and financial support to let farmers prepare their own compost, or humus.

Starting in 2022, DA and LGU funding will be significantly influenced by the Supreme Court’s ruling on cases that increased LGU share in national taxes by 27 percent. Organic agriculture is a diversified enterprise. Synergy among component activities occurs, as there are complementary and supplementary relationships among farming practices and components involved—manure from livestock made into compost, non-marketable or excess crop biomass is fed to animals to save on expenses on feeds.

The third crucial factor is significant investment in research, development and extension on organic conversion technologies, which address the transition processes, steps and procedures to facilitate the conversion stage, or zero chemicals. Through demand-led approach, consumers must regain consciousness on the real but often hidden costs of chemical agriculture to our health and planet’s ecosystem.This calls for Planetary Health Diet , which consists of safe, nutritious, health-promoting and medicinal foods mainly from vegetables, fruits, herbs, pulses and green salads. In short, PHD is plant-based.

 

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