A consortium of non-government organizations that oppose excessive use of chemicals in agriculture has urged government to review all chemical fertilizers and pesticides currently in use in the country to mitigate their harmful effects on the general public and the environment.

Efren Moncupa, lead convenor of Go Organic! Philippines, said excessive use of these often harmful toxic substances boost plant growth and increase crop yield but they also pollute the air, soil, and water.

He said the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority should make a comprehensive assessment of these chemical fertilizers and pesticides to make sure that they are not being misused. Pesticides, Moncupa said, are lethal and may be used by suicides.

The Benguet provincial government last month asked the FPA to withdraw from stores a restricted herbicide used in 17 suicide cases in the past two years.

The herbicide, Gramoxone, comes in liquid form. It is said to be the most commonly used substance in suicide cases.

Rural health units and hospitals in Baguio City and Benguet reported that the herbicide is indeed lethal. Only three persons survived its use in suicide attempts, Moncupa said.

The herbicide was previously banned but it was reformulated by the manufacturer and FPA changed its categorized for general use.

It is the duty of the FPA to make a periodic review to minimize the risks posed by chemical fertilizers and pesticides to the general public.

The government, Moncupa said, should make a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether beneficial effects of chemical fertilizers and pesticides for food production outweigh the risks they pose to public health and the environment.

Go Organic! Philippines, a consortium of non-government organizations led by the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and the La Liga Policy Institute (LLPI), is promoting organic farming in the Philippines and is convincing farmers to use natural or organic fertilizer and sprays that farmers can produce from raw materials found in their farms.

The group believes organic farming will give farmers higher incomes and provide consumers with a safer environment.