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The government's land reform program is about to expire next year yet vast landholdings throughout the country remain in the hands of very few landlord families. Liberalization of the agriculture industry destroyed the livelihood of millions of small farmers. The dumping of cheaper imported farm products in the local market aggravated poverty in the countryside. The communist insurgency in the provinces is fueled mainly by widespread peasant discontent.
There are proposals to extend the land reform program. Peasant groups are asking for a balanced, sustainable and pro-poor trade policy. Addressing rural development should guarantee farmers access to basic services, credit, technology, organization and entrepreneurship training. The government can also consider promoting organic agriculture to raise agricultural earnings in the country.
Civil society organizations define organic agriculture as "an agricultural production system that promotes environmentally, socially and economically sound production of food and fibers and excludes the use of synthetically compounded fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators, livestock feed and additives and genetically modified organisms." The Codex Alimentarius recognizes this kind of farming as "an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity."
Organic agriculture promotes the principles of health, ecology, fairness and care. According to the Philippine Development Assistance Program, organic agriculture is now part of the development agenda with growing recognition from stakeholders, the government and the private sector. It is also perceived as an effective and sustainable approach to food security, proper nutrition, income generation and resource management.
Aside from enhanced consumer awareness on the benefits of natural and healthy products, there is a big market for organic agriculture. The Philippines exported US$2.5 million worth of organic products in 1999, $6.2 million in 2001 and $10 million in 2003. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, organic agriculture is growing by 10-15 percent every year.
The Philippines can aim for more share of the world market. Organic agriculture trading in the world is increasing by 20-30 percent every year. Retail sales for organic products amounted to US$11 billion in 1998 and $17 billion in 2002 and they are projected to reach $100 billion in 2008.
The most popular organic products in the Philippines are bananas, beef, mangoes, muscovado sugar, papayas, peanuts, poultry, soya milk, vegetables from the uplands, yellow corn and rice.
Organic rice is produced in 19 provinces covering 15,000 hectares of farmland, with the potential for 39,000 hectares more of planting area. Production costs are 20-40 percent lower than traditional farming and net income is 10-30 percent higher. Productivity for converted farms ranges from 4-6 tons versus the national average of 3.5-4 tons. Metro Manila consumed 200 sacks per month in 2001 which increased to 1,500 sacks in 2006.
Muscovado sugar is exported to Europe, the United States and Japan. From 2000-2004, the Philippines earned US$6 million through trade in muscovado sugar alone.
Seaweed is another major organic product produced by the Philippines. The island of Sitangki in southern Philippines has 10,000 hectares of production area with potential of 60,000 hectares more for seaweed extraction. Seaweed trading in Sitangki is estimated at more than US$2 million per month.
The good news is that the Department of Agriculture drafted an Organic Agriculture Policy in 2003 and the Implementing Rules and Regulations were promulgated last year. The bad news is that there is no budget allocation to promote organic farming.
The Congress, aside from enacting a genuine land reform program, should also prioritize funding support for organic agriculture. PDAP recommends more investments in post-harvest processing, packaging and technology diffusion. Local governments must build the capacity to increase consumer awareness. An agriculture micro-finance policy can be implemented to benefit small farmers. Academic institutions can spearhead initiatives through research and development programs. Organic agriculture can be included in the curriculum.
Organic agriculture is not the magic pill that will eliminate poverty in the country. But it can increase farmers' income and "help restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony." Organic agriculture will not solve hunger but it can be a key component to realize food sustainability. Organic agriculture trading will not make the Philippines an economic superpower but it can help revive agriculture productivity.
The noble goals of organic agriculture will become meaningless if the program will yield a large profit for a few individuals or groups at the expense of small farmers. The government must promote organic agriculture to improve the countryside and raise the quality of living of farmers.
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(Mong Palatino is a Filipino youth activist, correspondent for Global Voices and news editor of Yehey!, a Philippine-based Web portal. He can be reached at mongpalatino@gmail.com. His website is www.mongpalatino.motime.com. ©Copyright Mong Palatino.)
