Organic farming helps in food security

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna: A report on organic and inorganic farming, which have been on the opposite ends of a polarizing issue in agriculture, has been published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca).

Searca Director Glenn Gregorio said the report bared the science and practice of organic and conventional agriculture and ways the two farming approaches might be integrated to achieve food security.

He said these were discussed by scientists and practitioners during a forum convened by the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines Inc. (Camp), in partnership with Searca, the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, and the University of the Philippines Los Baños-Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB).

“With enlightened moderation on both sides, we can enjoy the best of both worlds and make organic and inorganic farming work in the Philippine context,” national scientist Emil Javier said during the forum.

The report is made up of the full presentations and discussions on the science and practice of organic farming by Rodel Maghirang, UPLB- IPB director; experiences and advocacies of organic farming by Pablito Villegas, who owns Villegas OrganiKs and Hobby Farm; science and practices of inorganic farming by Pearl Sanchez, UPLB Agricultural Systems Institute director; scientific bases of integrated organic and inorganic farming in the Philippines by Eufemio Rasco Jr., Camp member and National Academy of Science and Technology academic; and enjoying the best of both worlds: mainstreaming organic practices in conventional agriculture by Javier, also Camp chairman.

“Camp advises a win-win strategy that integrates both organic and inorganic practices, depending on farmers’ ability and situation,” Gregorio said.

He added the integration would assure complementarity while benefiting from the two systems, with soil organic matter enhancing the efficiency of nutrient use from chemical fertilizers.

With the integration of good farming practices, Camp believes that there is a greater chance to improve and sustain soil productivity and high yields to meet the needs of a growing population and provide for a cleaner environment.

Gregorio said the full report may be downloaded for free from www. searca.org.