November is Organic Agriculture Month.
Republic Act (RA) No. 10068, also known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, was signed by the President Benigno Aquino, Jr. on May 21, 2015.
According to the Official Gazette of the Philippine government, Organic Agriculture month was created “to promote, propagate, develop, and further implement the practice of organic agriculture in the Philippines.”
Seven years on, not only has organic agriculture remained a niche industry, the use of the term “organic” itself has been clouded. Nowadays, in this country at least, the official term for farms that practice organic farming but do not have third-party certification is “natural” farm, with “organic” reserved for farms or products that have the proper paperwork.
And since third-party organic certification can be very costly, this is hardly a good strategy for small farmers who can barely make ends meet, if at all. It’s a huge roadblock to its use as a “tool for development.” That said, organic certification is still important if one wants to compete globally, as it is an important requirement in many countries.
Thankfully, this hasn’t stopped many farmers from practicing natural farming, nor has it hindered those interested from seeking a less expensive, more democratic way of obtaining organic certification. The Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) is an internationally recognized quality assurance system that relies on farmers and stakeholders to make sure that the farm seeking organic certification adheres to a previously decided set of qualifying criteria. It is recognized by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), who also helps in PGS training and also complies PGS initiatives worldwide.
Seven years on, there are still many misconceptions about organic agriculture – that it is expensive, that it is easy, even that it is the solution to all problems. Much work has to be done to show (not tell) people that naturally grown crops can be for everyone, not just the wealthy, but this also requires a food system that will make it accessible to everyone regardless of income.
There is a huge push to encourage people to farm, and much of it hinges on promoting it as a social media-friendly lifestyle. In reality, farming is usually difficult, and while we must encourage more people to find careers in agriculture, we must also build the infrastructure that will encourage them to stay beyond the social media posts. Natural farming is even harder than conventional farming, but as its practitioners will tell you, the results are worth it.
Natural farming is a solution to our food crisis, but it is not THE solution, which will probably be a mix of different practices hinging on an effective and transparent food and agriculture system, much of it requiring proper laws and regulations and implementations thereof. If the government wants to encourage farming, they should make it easy and profitable for farmers to stay farmers.
We have a long way to go in terms of giving natural farming the recognition it deserves, but as more consumers begin to ask questions about where their food comes from, more farmers will be encouraged to follow this mode of agriculture.
Happy Organic Agriculture Month!