Fertile ground

Organic farming is fast gaining traction, particularly among those concerned with health and the environment. What was once just a buzz phrase in these parts is making a bid for the mainstream, and many Filipinos are beginning to understand the value of organic produce, or food grown on land free from dangerous chemicals.

A hefty push came in 2011 when President Aquino declared that organic farming could help end hunger and poverty. Speaking to delegates of the 8th National Organic Agriculture Conference in Tarlac, Mr. Aquino cited the importance of Republic Act No. 10068, or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010. The law states that the government will “cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent the depletion of natural resources, further protect the health of farmers, consumers, and the general public, and save on imported farm inputs.”

There has since been a promising response nationwide, boosted by the Department of Agriculture’s prodding. In Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, residents practice organic farming to provide for their children. Officials in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental promote organic food production. The town of Pozorrubio in Pangasinan has issued an ordinance for organic farming. In Naga City, the nonprofit organization SRI (System of Rice Intensification) Pilipinas encourages farmers to use its method, which spurns agrichemicals. In Tublay, Benguet, Catholic nuns devote their time and a piece of their land to an organic vegetable farm.

An excellent example of the benefits to be had from organic farming is being demonstrated by farmer Mauricio Sandico, as reported last week by Inquirer correspondent Maurice Malanes. After working in the Middle East for 24 years, Sandico came to Baguio and discovered La Trinidad Organic Practitioners Multipurpose Cooperative, which has championed the organic food business since 2005. Sandico and his wife Fely eventually bought land in La Union and transformed what used to be a tobacco and corn farm into an organic enterprise producing much more. Wanting to find scientific methods to boost his farm production, Sandico took classes and seminars, and learned to fuse new technology with common sense to produce not only organic crops but also fertilizer enriched by EM (“effective microorganisms”).

Sandico took the time and effort to grow things right, meaning free from chemicals and other poisons. He experimented for three months before coming up with “perfect” alfalfa sprouts, “following trials that destroyed a lot of seeds.” His scientific and systematic approach to organic farming demonstrates how farmers can produce abundant crops and also help regenerate lands that have been “burned” by poisonous pesticides and fertilizers.

At the heart of all this is organic farming’s fundamental principle: Nurture and feed the soil to ensure healthier crops and plants for both humans and animals. It hews to what the Good Book says: Only on good soil will the seeds bear fruit many times over.

The Philippines’ steady if cautious advance into organic farming also serves to bring it into a larger community. According to the 2013 report of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and the International Foundation for Organic Agriculture, 162 countries worldwide are engaged in certified organic agriculture, with a total of 37.2 million hectares devoted to it. The countries with the biggest land area reserved for organic agriculture are Australia, Argentina and the United States. Asia has 10 percent (3.7 million hectares) of the planet’s organic agricultural land, led by China and India for now. “The Asian market for organic products is growing at a steady rate,” the report said. The Philippines was not mentioned, but it’s not too late to take part in a global market estimated at $63 billion as of 2011.

Many Filipino farmers are now producing chemical- and GMO-free salad ingredients and other greens, rice, lemon grass, okra, eggplant and more. The stuff is fashionable these days, but unlike fads and trends that have the briefest shelf life, organic produce now have a burgeoning market, growing on the fertile ground of public awareness.