Forward to the next 20 years – if we insist on 90% Chemical Agriculture (CA) and only 10% Organic Agriculture (OA), we will lose 100% of our agriculture and millions of lives to Climate Change (CC): super typhoons, landslides, floods. Our chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides contribute much to the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) that create Climate Change!
Just what has our Department of Agriculture (DA) been doing about organic agriculture? Krystelle Ymari A Vergara says (07 Nov 2022, “Agri Dep’t Sees Organic Agriculture As A Way Forward,” Department of Agriculture, da.gov.ph):
In hopes of enhancing food production in the country and protecting the country’s natural resources, the Department of Agriculture (DA) recognizes organic agriculture as a key element in moving forward as it formally opened the 8th Organic Agriculture Month on 07 November 2022.
With the theme, “Maunlad na Pagsasaka, Garantisado Sa Organikong Agrikulturang Sinaliksik” (“Progressive Farming, Guaranteed By Organic Farming Researched” – my translation), the Organic Agriculture Month aims to promote organic agriculture by focusing national attention on the importance of organic agriculture in enhancing global competitiveness and environmental integrity, increasing food security and safety, and alleviating poverty…
This month, November, the PH DA is proclaiming the importance of OA in “environmental entity” – why doesn’t the DA proclaim clearly the urgency of applying OA to counter “Climate Change”? It must be because the DA is not ready to proclaim organic agriculture as “The Only Way Forward.” Because all DAs in all countries are hooked on drugs – chemical fertilizers, chemical pesticides!
I say the best way farmers can help to defeat Climate Change is to practice organic agriculture by producing organic fertilizers – can they produce those fertilizers economically?
Ms Krystelle says:
Senator [Cynthia] Villar… shared her personal experiences… with main focus on… capacitating communities to produce their own organic fertilizers.
In the bottom image she says, “More Filipinos should have access to healthy and safe farm products.” Organic foods.
(“Cynthia Villar” from ikot.ph)
Communities: People should be able to produce organic fertilizers with common efforts and facilities. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food & Agrarian Reform, with Sen Villar, Ms Krystelle says:
… a total of 67 composting facilities have been established in the City of Las Piñas during her term as a [local] politician. With the facilities producing more than 800 tons of organic fertilizer annually and the local government recycling plastic wastes, the city generates less waste and saves P300 M on a yearly basis.
That is to say, in Las Piñas, they are showing the whole country how to save tons of wastes and earn millions of pesos!
Ms Krystelle goes on to say:
She then encouraged the DA… to scale up the distribution of composting facilities throughout the country to help ease financial burdens of small-scale farmers, to preserve soil fertility, and to protect the environment from the impacts of chemical fertilizers.
Common problems, common solutions – isn’t that common sense? Asking as a common friend!@517
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