Any Coming Food Crisis Is Chemical Agriculture-Based; FFF’s Advice Is Organic Agriculture, Healthy For The Farmers, Healthy For The Consumers. “Go Picnic, It’s Organic!” – Frank A Hilario
This has to do with the package of proposals from Leonardo Q Montemayor, former Secretary
of Agriculture and current Board Chair of the FFF, author of “Analysis –
Transitioning From Chemical To Organic” (05 May 2021, Rappler, Rappler.com)
– yes, 1-year old but quite relevant today!
(upper image from Rappler)
Germane, Othel V
Campos says PH Secretary of Agriculture William
Dar warned: “PH In For A Food Crisis – Dar” (10 May 2022, Manila Standard, manilastandard.net):
[He] warned of a looming
food crisis that could start in the second half of the year as input prices
soar and there will be little to buy in the global market.
“Many experts are
saying there is indeed a looming crisis. But we’re prepared to handle this,”
Dar said at a briefing Wednesday. “We have a directional plan to handle these
big challenges.”
The plan, he said,
involves rebooting agriculture towards recovery and growth and developing a
resilient industry under the Department of Agriculture’s 10-year strategic
plan.
Amen! The DA has a P250-Billion
budget plan for next year.
I go back to Mr Montemayor’s PH Agriculture “transitioning
from chemical to organic agriculture.” I agree with all his recommendations:
1.
All PH farmers adopt organic agriculture.
DA “should assist farmers in undertaking a gradual, calibrated reduction of
chemical inputs.”
2.
Continue “balanced fertilization” regime but
“emphasize farmer-made compost or humus,” because to buy costs P7,000/ha.
3.
The DA and local government units (LGUs) should
provide technical, financial and other supports for producing and distributing
organic fertilizers. LGUs should devote at least ¼ of their internal revenue
allotments to organic agriculture.
4.
The DA should initially provide inputs like
seeds and planting materials, even as farmers are trained to produce and save
their own seeds.
5.
DA should provide basic equipment, tools and
small machineries to farmers. A foundry shop for each village may be financed for
repairing, improving and even manufacturing tools & equipment.
6.
Migrate farmers from monocropping to bio-diverse
or integrated farming systems. Opportunities: Livestock manure made into
compost, and crop refuse fed to animals. Companion cropping can help manage
pests & diseases naturally.
7.
“Bahay Kubo Cropping” – “Many farmers have
neglected the traditional growing of health-enhancing vegetables.”
8.
“Research, Development, and Extension on Organic
Conversion Technologies” with funding from the DA and the Department of Science
and Technology.
9.
Education campaign among consumers on the
benefits of organic produce. “Consumers must regain awareness of the real costs
of chemical agriculture to our health and planetary ecosystem” – Climate
change. Consumers must demand healthy and safe foods.
10. There
should be “direct consumer-organic farmer partnership” under the Producers’
Linkage with Users & Consumers (PLUS) Scheme. PLUS “will ensure decent
income for family farmers.”
Sec
Dar, how about allotting from the DA’s P250
Billion P17 Billion for organic
agriculture?@517
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