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Senate OKs on second reading a bill seeking to boost organic agriculture


A measure that seeks to further establish organic agriculture in the Philippines hurdled the second reading in the Senate on Wednesday.

Senate Bill No. 1318, an amendment to the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, seeks to strengthen the national organic agricultural program and promote the consumption of organic products.

The proposed measure also provides for the establishment of the Participatory Guarantee System—a locally-focused quality assurance system—that will be used to certify producers and farmers as active practitioners of organic agriculture.

Aside from making the certification process more accessible, it also proposes incentives for small farmers and fisher folk who would be certified compliant to organic agriculture standards.

Government agencies such as the Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Animal Industry, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources shall be mandated to regulate the registration of organic produce and inputs.

On the other hand, the Food and Drug Administration shall handle the product registration of organic processed food. —Dona Magsino/LBG, GMA News

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