City council lauded for approval of organic farming ordinance
2010-02-25

DAVAO CITY - The group advocating organic agriculture lauded the Davao City Council on the approval of the Organic Agriculture Ordinance on Tuesday, 23 February.  

 

Go Organic Davao City (GODC), a network of sustainable agriculture advocates and practitioners actively lobbied for the mainstreaming and institutionalization of organic farming. “Once again, the Davao City government showed its concern for the welfare of the small farmers (those who own three hectares or less).   The Ordinance provides an enabling mechanism that will promote and  support farmers who are practicing organic agriculture,”  Elvira Anduyan, head coordinator of GODC, expressed.  She shared that the Ordinance preceded the approval of the National Organic Agriculture Act which has been approved by Congress and still to be signed by President Arroyo. 

 

In its declaration of policy, the City Council affirmed that “it is the duty of the local government to protect life and advance the rights of all citizens to food sufficiency, sovereignty and safety, sustainable livelihood and social equity.” 

 

The ordinance declared the adherence to eight principles to guide its implementation.  These include:  promotion and enhancement of the conservation and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity; empowerment of small and marginalized farmers; mitigation and adaptation to climate change; poverty reduction enhancement; attainment of food security,  ecological sustainability, and well being of Davao City’s populace; and,  integrity of organic products through approved organic certification process. 

 

Part of the promotion of organic farming in the city is the establishment of, recognition and/or support to organic centers including those initiated by the private sector. 

 

Likewise, organic agriculture zones shall be identified to protect organically grown crops from encroachment and contamination from chemical-based farms and crops.  Identification of these zones will be based on a minimum criteria set by the ordinance.

 

The ordinance also mandated the creation of an Organic Seed or Gene Bank which will produce and supply endemic or indigenous seeds to the farmers.

 

The new farming policy shall be implemented through the City Agriculture Office  which is mandated to ensure support to organic farmers from training, credit and financial services, production, marketing and branding.  Organic farmers cooperatives have to register with the City Cooperative Development Office. 

 

The said Office shall also ensure that organic products have certified organic branding in accordance with the Philippine standards including the marketing of organic crops by providing centers for selling, transport and other services. 

 

As an implementing mechanism, the City Agriculture Office may likewise create a council that will assist in the implementation of the ordinance.  This council will be composed of appropriate national government agencies, peoples’ and non-government organizations, academe and other concerned offices engaged in organic farming.

 

For one, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Region XI office headed by Mr. Lornito Orillaneda is one of the steadfast supporters of the ordinance.  Orillaneda claimed that, “PCA is strongly promoting organic farming.” 

 

Mr. Joe Nobleza, the director of the Organic Center of Davao City and GODC member stressed, “the Organic Agriculture Ordinance will be a step-up for what the organic farmers have been doing. A value chain analysis and organic agriculture model farms will further our cause on organic farming and healthy living.”

 

Other local governments in Mindanao such as Trento in Agusan del Sur and ArakanValley in Cotabato Province have already institutionalized organic farming as main agricultural practice in their municipalities.

 

GODC is composed of the Alternate Forum for Research in Mindanao (AFRIM), METSA Foundation, Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), Organic Center of Davao City,    Institute of Primary Health Care- Davao Medical School Foundation (IPHC-DMSF), Josefa Segovia Foundation, Assissi Foundation, FARMCOOP, KATAKUS Inc. and Kababaihang Nagtataglay ng Bihirang Lakas (KNBL).##

By: AFRIM

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