Self-taught in Communication/Journalism, uniquely, I am the first and so far the one-and-only recipient of the UP Los Baños Alumni Association's "Outstanding Alumnus for Creative Writing" 2012. Since 2007, I have blogged at least 5,000 long essays, a minimum of 1,000 words each, in science and creative thinking.
With such credentials, as a science writer and consistent-insistent blogger dedicated to the new PH Agriculture with the leadership of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie, today I am challenging the likes of Maria Ressa, TIME Person of the Year 2018, or any PH journalist, to do investigative journalism and show that organic farming can help solve farmer poverty.
You don't know? Investigate!
Business Diary Philippines says organic farming is #1 among the "Top 100 Most Profitable Business Ideas" in the Philippines[1](source of image above).
"Top 100 Most Profitable Business Ideas" That, Mam, is only lip service – you have to prove it, not just pronounce it!
You will have to visit an organic farm, and write about it. And visit another farm, and write about it – especially a different crop. And visit another, and another, and another.
No Mam! That assignment is not like taking a candy from a baby. It's easy to say – it's difficult to show in black and white. You will need all your investigative journalism friends and agriculturists in high and low places to carry out this assignment – if you will.
Here is Gail Momblan reporting 04 December 2019 from Iloilo City from the 12th General Assembly of the League of Organic Agriculture Municipalities, Cities, and Provinces of the Philippines, LOAMCP-PH, the group claiming that "the thrust on organic agriculture is synonymous with good governance and can be one way to address the insurgency problem in the country."
How? Investigate!
Ms Momblan says, "In a press conference on Wednesday here, Rommel Arnado, National President of LOAMCP-PH, underscored that organic agriculture can decrease the rate of poverty and address other concerns in a locality."
How? Investigate!
Ms Momblan also says, "Among the concerns that can be answered through organic agriculture are poverty rate decrease, the establishment of farm-to-market roads, regeneration of the soil, and solid waste management."
How? Investigate!
I say Miss Momblan is mixing the unmixable! Or is she? Organic farming does not require farm-to-market roads, or does it? You will have to show that the regeneration of the soil and solid waste management are all parts of organic farming and how they all contribute to poverty reduction. Or do they?
You know, Ms or Mr Investigative Journalist, one of the big problems in organic farming is the requirement for Organic Agriculture, OA, Certification – and the cost is huge: from P100,000 to P160,000 per commodity. That is, if you are growing rice and corn, you pay for not just 1 but 2 OA certificates! That is why I said in an earlier essay, "In other words, to become rich, a farmer has to become rich first[2]!"
Investigative journalists, use you head – you have to investigate intelligently!@517
[1]https://businessdiary.com.ph/13978/top-100-most-profitable-agribusiness-ideas/
[2]https://iparadigmshifts.blogspot.com/2019/12/why-very-few-organic-farms-in-sea-in-ph.html
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