'Organic agriculture' confab held
ROXAS CITY – Organized and sponsored by the Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (MASIPAG) and Central Philippine University (CPU), a conference on Organic Agriculture was held at CPU’s Knowledge Development Center (KDC).
The conference aims to strengthen the promotion for a farmer-centered organic agriculture which is essential in achieving food security, alleviating poverty and enhancing farmers’ adoption strategies for climate change, specifically it aims to: further raise the awareness of various stakeholders (LGU’s, academe, church groups and other stakeholders) on organic agriculture; determine the current status of Executive Order 481 and OA in the country; identify national and local policies that could aid in promoting OA in the communities; and identify problems and the appropriate solutions in the adoption of OA in the country, from the perspective of both farmers and LGU’s.
The national forum was participated by farmer-leaders of MASIPAG in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; local government units (LGUs); local government agencies (LGAs) and other stakeholders from Samar in the Visayas; South Cotabato in Mindanao; Guimaras, Negros, Capiz, Iloilo and Antique in Panay Island; and as far as Nueva Vizcaya and Camarines Sur in Luzon. The participants were warmly welcomed by CPU being the host and Dr. Angelina M. Briones, a MASIPAG Board Member who is also instrumental in the founding of MASIPAG.
Dr. Chito Medina, MASIPAG-National Coordinator, discussed OA for Food Security, Poverty Alleviation and Resilience-Building against Climate Change, while Mr. Bobby Pagusara, MASIPAG-Mindanao Regional Coordinator shared the MASIPAG Farmers’ Guarantee System, a farmer-centered and controlled OA certification system. People’s Organization (PO)-led Marketing System-a farmer’s experience was shared by Ms. Amelia Guzman, a farmer and MASIPAG Board Member.
The actual experiences of LGUs on OA for alleviating poverty in Sto. Nino, South Cotabato was shared by Sangguniang Bayan Member, Joffrey Frinal, while the Municipal Administrator of Alimodian, Iloilo, Dr. Mary Lou A. Alipao presented also their practices on how OA ensures Food Security and Biodiversity Conservation in their municipality. On the other hand, Ruperto O. Sabio, Chairman, Municipal Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Sta. Lucia, Mgarao, Camarines Sur shared his experience on how Organic Agriculture for Resilience-Building against Climate Change: Environmental Protection through Solid Waste Management in Magarao, Camarines Sur was successfully practiced.
At the end of the day, a workshop was done to strengthen the promotion of organic agriculture at the local level by identifying common problems and constraints in the adoption of OA and steps and concrete actions to be done to hasten the promotion and adoption of OA in the community level through the participation of all stakeholders (farmers, LGUs/LGAs and the academe).
The conference ended with the launching of the book: Food Security and Farmer Empowerment – a study of the impacts of farmer-led sustainable agriculture in the Philippines authored by Lorenz Bachmann, Elizabeth Cruzada and Sara Wright.