LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Farmers, traders and other stakeholders in Northern Luzon are optimistic about the future of organic agriculture following the pledge of local government units (LGUs) to support it.

Led by Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, a stakeholders’ forum kicked off at the convention hall of the Pangasinan State University here Friday, with over 200 farmers, traders, members of the academe and LGU representatives from Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) taking part in discussing issues confronting the organic agriculture movement.

The activity serves as a parallel process of the nationwide consultation initiated by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala for the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 10068, otherwise known as Organic Agriculture Act of 2010. The law seeks to promote and develop organic agriculture in the Philippines.

La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) is facilitating the parallel NGO consultation process sponsored by the Pangasinan State University and in coordination with Go Organic! Philippines, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), Organic Producers and Traders’ Alliance (OPTA), and the One Organic Movement (OOM).

Roland Cabigas, managing director of La Liga said the IRR consultation for the Organic Agriculture Act seeks to know what farmers have to say about the law.

“It also highlights how the new DA secretary wants the farmers to play a major role in the crafting of the IRR,” Cabigas, a convenor of Go Organic! Philippines which implemented the Organic FIELDS Support Program (OFSP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BDWM) last year stressed.

In his brief speech, Braganza underscored the fact that the Organic Agriculture Act recognizes the crucial role of local governments in providing policy direction, as well as implementation partners as resource to strengthen Philippine agriculture.

More importantly, he said the law also recognizes the role of local governments and their leagues as catalyst in the promotion of an agriculture strategy that gives emphasis to a low-carbon development path. “This is crucial considering our country’s increasing vulnerability to climate change,” he added.

The need to institutionalize funding for the law was echoed by participants, as well as the need for a careful evaluation on matters related to product labeling and third party certification.

Farmers also want to know as to how will product labeling and third party certification benefit them, the same way it will help traders and benefit consumers, Cabigas noted.

Braganza, an organic farming advocate, said that without a budget to support its implementation, the law will end up like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act which until now are not fully implemented.

He added there is a need to convince government to put a budget line item for organic agriculture in the DA.

Likewise, he stressed the need for LGUs to chip in to boost organic farming and make theshift to ecologically-sound food production in lieu of chemical-intensive farming.

In the last six years, or even before the Organic Agriculture Act was passed, Alaminos City has been providing support and extension services to organic farmers.

The city has so far poured P12 million of its own funds to promote organic farming.

Alaminos City is part of Go Organic! Philippines and is one of the One Pangasinan Alliance of LGUs, an economic alliance of LGUs in Western Pangasinan which supports the promotion and development of organic farming as a key to fighting hunger and poverty through sustainable agriculture.

Organic farming is being eyed as a solution to the rice crisis in the Philippines because of its many benefits.

“It lowers production costs and helps boost farmers’ income. Organic farming also promotes a healthy working environment, unlike in conventional farming, where farmers are exposed to harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides,” Cabigas stressed.

More importantly, Cabigas said organic agriculture helps fight global warming by promoting environment-friendly food production while at the same time still ensuring improved if not better farm outputs, farmers’ income and health even including safer and more nutritional food for our consumers.