Group pushes for organic farming as new rice crisis looms
MANILA, Philippines – Amid warnings of another global rice crisis, the Go Organic! Movement on Wednesday pushed for a policy shift in the country’s agriculture from hazardous chemical-based to a more sustainable organic farming.
Go Organic! Philippine lead convenor Efren Moncupa said that for as long as conventional agriculture remains highly dependent on imported fertilizers and pesticides, the country would remain vulnerable to problems such as shortage in the supply of rice, which would trigger rice price increases.
"We need to stop this vicious cycle of chemical-based agriculture which makes us more vulnerable to the unstable global price of farm inputs such as chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides," Moncupa said in a statement. "We can do this with the timely intervention and support of the government, which means making the necessary policy shift and pouring more funds to organic farming."
A scientist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has warned of a looming rice crisis this year as a result of the global financial crisis.
Samarendu Mohanty, head of IRRI's Social Sciences Division, said the financial crisis would make it difficult for farmers around the world to get credit for buying inputs.
According to him, the crisis is already being felt in the Philippines, which has already lowered its 2009 rice production estimate by almost 4 percent because of lower input use as farmers struggle to secure credit to buy inputs.
Moncupa said the government might as well turn the looming rice crisis into an opportunity to make the necessary policy shift.
"Proven organic farming systems and technologies will improve the country's rice production in the medium and long term and help ensure food security, promote better health and protect the environment," he said.
Go Organic! Philippines – through is affiliates, the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) and the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) – is taking the lead in implementing Phase I of the Organic Fields Support Program (OFSP) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM).
The group is now aggressively promoting organic farming.
The Fields program is the DA's main thrust to achieve the country's rice self-sufficiency target by 2010.
Fields is an acronym for Fertilizer, Irrigation and other rural infrastructure like farm-to-market roads, Education and extension work, Loans, Dryers and other post-harvest facilities, and Seeds.
According to Moncupa, the IRRI report, which warned of the looming rice crisis in the Philippines, is very alarming. He said rice farmers, who are ironically the producers of the staple food but remain among the poorest of the poor, will be hardest hit with the supply and demand jacking up the price of locally-produced, as well as imported, rice.
"Farmers, too, are rice consumers, whose income remains low," he said. "The report that the price of rice could jump up this year makes the Go Organic! campaign more relevant,'' Moncupa said.
Through the OFSP, 600 farmers from six towns and cities have started training in various organic farming system and technologies in preparation for the massive shift or conversion of rice farms into organic rice farms. - GMANews.TV
Go Organic! Philippine lead convenor Efren Moncupa said that for as long as conventional agriculture remains highly dependent on imported fertilizers and pesticides, the country would remain vulnerable to problems such as shortage in the supply of rice, which would trigger rice price increases.
"We need to stop this vicious cycle of chemical-based agriculture which makes us more vulnerable to the unstable global price of farm inputs such as chemical-based fertilizers and pesticides," Moncupa said in a statement. "We can do this with the timely intervention and support of the government, which means making the necessary policy shift and pouring more funds to organic farming."
A scientist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has warned of a looming rice crisis this year as a result of the global financial crisis.
Samarendu Mohanty, head of IRRI's Social Sciences Division, said the financial crisis would make it difficult for farmers around the world to get credit for buying inputs.
According to him, the crisis is already being felt in the Philippines, which has already lowered its 2009 rice production estimate by almost 4 percent because of lower input use as farmers struggle to secure credit to buy inputs.
Moncupa said the government might as well turn the looming rice crisis into an opportunity to make the necessary policy shift.
"Proven organic farming systems and technologies will improve the country's rice production in the medium and long term and help ensure food security, promote better health and protect the environment," he said.
Go Organic! Philippines – through is affiliates, the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) and the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) – is taking the lead in implementing Phase I of the Organic Fields Support Program (OFSP) in partnership with the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM).
The group is now aggressively promoting organic farming.
The Fields program is the DA's main thrust to achieve the country's rice self-sufficiency target by 2010.
Fields is an acronym for Fertilizer, Irrigation and other rural infrastructure like farm-to-market roads, Education and extension work, Loans, Dryers and other post-harvest facilities, and Seeds.
According to Moncupa, the IRRI report, which warned of the looming rice crisis in the Philippines, is very alarming. He said rice farmers, who are ironically the producers of the staple food but remain among the poorest of the poor, will be hardest hit with the supply and demand jacking up the price of locally-produced, as well as imported, rice.
"Farmers, too, are rice consumers, whose income remains low," he said. "The report that the price of rice could jump up this year makes the Go Organic! campaign more relevant,'' Moncupa said.
Through the OFSP, 600 farmers from six towns and cities have started training in various organic farming system and technologies in preparation for the massive shift or conversion of rice farms into organic rice farms. - GMANews.TV
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