Module 1

Introduction

OVERVIEW
Organic agriculture can be a pathway to addressing not only hunger and malnutrition
but also other challenges including poverty, water use, climate change, and
unsustainable production and consumption.

The promotion of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines faces many challenges: policy

gaps, lack of production support, promotion and awareness activities; fragmented and
inadequate research and development, extension and capability building activities; and
poor market systems.

The signing of Republic Act No. 10068 or more commonly known as the Philippine
Organic Agriculture Act on April 06, 2010, is a landmark legislation for the development
and promotion of organic agriculture in the Philippines. Compared to many Asian
countries, the organic agriculture sector in the Philippines is still in its formative years
Production of organic agriculture products remains marginal with less than one percent
of the country’s agricultural land devoted to organic farming.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

State and define what is organic agriculture

Practice the four principles of organic agriculture

Differentiate organic farming over conventional farming

LEARNING TOPICS

1. Situation of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines

Over-all Philippine agriculture contributes 17 percent to the gross domestic

product of the country, employing 33 percent of the country’s labor force. The sector
accounts for more than half or an estimated 66 percent of the country’s poorest. The
deteriorating condition of the environment has contributed to increasing vulnerability of
the broad-spectrum of agriculture sectorparticularly to extreme weather events.
Predominance of chemicalintensive farming has contributed to at least 33 percent of the
country’s green house gas emissions.

1.1 Profile of Organic Farms and Products

Compared to many Asian countries, the organic agriculture sector in the

Philippines is still in its formative years. Production of organic agriculture products
remains marginal with less than one percent of the country’s agricultural land devoted to
organic farming. International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
and Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) estimated that in 2004 only 3,500
hectares in the country were under organic management.9 These estimates represent a
more than three-fold increase in production areas certified under organic
management.Most recent estimates from the IFOAM and FiBLindicate that in 2006
there were 35,000 organic farms in the country with a cumulative production area
certified under organic management of 14,140 hectares or 0.12 percent of the total
Philippine agricultural lands. It must be noted, however, that the available data only
capture farms that have been third-party certified and do not reflect the broader
population of organic farming practitioners who have not sought certification. Most
common organic agricultural products, mainly for domestic consumption, include
wellmilled white rice and semi-polished red and brown rice, vegetables, fruits, herbs and
spices, some livestock and poultry. In 2009,the Organic Certification Center of the
Philippines (OCCP) estimatedthe organic rice production area at 7,066 hectares with
production volume of 3.8 million kilograms. Production area for organic fruits and
vegetables which include papaya, bananas, mangoes and watermelons, was estimated
at 119 hectares with production volume of 660,770 kilograms.

On the other hand, organic agriculture products, mainly for export to the United States,
Japan and Western Europe, include muscovado sugar, bananas and coconut oil. Again
the OCCP estimated in 2009 that the total production area devoted to organic sugar
was at 122 hectares with production volume of 10,000 kilograms. Area planted with
certified organic banana was estimated at 509 hectares and for organic coconut at 64
hectares. 1.2 Growing Local and Export Demand for Organic Agriculture Products All
data and information shows the growing market demand for organic products both at
the local and global levels. The domestic organic market in the Philippines has been
described as a “niche” market sold mainly in specialty stores and weekend markets in
Metro Manila. Based on 2000 data from the Foreign Agriculture Service of the US
Department of Agriculture (USDA), the local organic product market in the Philippines is
estimated to be worth USD 6.2 million or PhP266.7 million.10 More recent data from the
Philippine Development Assistance Program (PDAP) estimated the local organic
product market to be worth between USD 20 million or PhP860 million to USD 30 million
or PhP1.3 billion.11 To date, organic agriculture products are slowly penetrating the
shelves of large supermarket chains and restaurants due mainly to the broadening
demand brought about by growing health consciousness and wellness trends in the
country. On the other hand, exports of Philippine organic products are estimated to
have reached USD 18 million in 2006.12 This is small compared to the growing global
demand for organic food and beverages estimated to have reached USD 15.6 billion in
2009 which is increasing, on the average, by over USD 5 billion a year. Major markets
for organic food products are the United States followed by the European Union and
Japan. 1.3 Issues and Challenges The promotion of Organic Agriculture in the
Philippines faces many challenges: policy gaps, lack of production support, promotion
and awareness activities; fragmented and inadequate research and development,
extension and capability building activities; and poor market systems. One of the main
challenges in organic agriculture isto be competitive with conventional farming systems.

2.0 General Framework

2.1 Vision: Moving Away from the Margins The National Organic Agriculture Program
(2012-2016) envisions the organic agriculture sector contributing to the over-all
agricultural growth and development of the country, in terms of sustainability,
competitiveness and food security, where at least five (5) percent of Philippine
agricultural farm areas practice organic farming; and, where consumers both national
and international increasingly support Philippine organic food products by 2016.
2.2 Goals and Objectives: Overall the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP)
aims to promote, propagate, further develop and implement the practice of organic
agriculture in the Philippines towards a competitive and sustainable organic industry
that contributes to:

a) Better Farm Incomes and Sustainable Livelihood. Increased farm productivity,

reduced expenses on imported farm inputs, better incomes for farmers and reduction of
poverty in the rural sector;

b) Improved Health. Protected health of farmers, consumers and the public in general;

c) Environmental Protection. Enhanced soil fertility and farm biodiversity, reduced

pollution and destruction of the environment as well as prevention of further depletion of
natural resources;

d) Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience to Climate Change. Improved resiliency

to disaster risks and climate change vulnerabilities caused by human interventions and
naturally induced hazards through diversification and less exposure to external inputs;
and

e) Social Justice. Meeting the basic materials needs and improving standard of living
for all, upholding human rights, gender equality, labor standards and the right to self-
determination.

Organic Agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems,

and people. It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local
conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Organic farming yields
such vital benefits as preservation of soil's organic composition. Organic farmers utilize
practices that: Maintain and improve fertility, soil structure and biodiversity, and reduce
erosion. Reduce the risks of human, animal, and environmental exposure to toxic
materials.

3. WHY ORGANIC AGRICULTURE?

We are in a crisis in many ways

More than 800 million people go hungry and about 2 billion are malnourished. About 30
percent of the global adult population is overweight or obese, and around 30 percent of
food produced worldwide is lost or wasted.

Nature is declining globally at rates unprecedented in human history. Up to 1 million

species are threatened with extinction, many within decades.

Land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23% of the global land surface, up to
US$577 billion in annual global crops are at risk from pollinator loss.

According to an FAO report on the state of biodiversity, of the thousands of plant

species cultivated for food, fewer than 200 contribute substantially to global food output
and only nine account for 66% of total crop production.

Unsustainable Agriculture is Part of the Problem

Unsustainable agriculture is the largest driver of biodiversity loss, it is contributing to

global warming, contaminating soil, threatening rural livelihoods as well as food &
nutrition security.

The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report showed that our

food systems are estimated to cause up to 29% of global anthropogenic greenhouse
gas emissions.

Chemical fertilizers used to grow food are responsible for the majority of nitrous oxide
released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity.

There are estimates that agriculture is directly responsible for 80% of deforestation
worldwide.

Farmers often bear the consequences of our unsustainable economies and lifestyles.
They are some of the world's poorest and most food insecure people, most severely hit
by climate change.
We need systemic change

The negative impacts of input-intensive or industrial agriculture on the environment and

health, its inefficacy to provide a decent income for farmers, its high reliance on fossil
fuels and high vulnerability to climate change all show the need for change.

Many of our policies only exacerbate the issues. According to a recent analysis, only
1% of the $700bn a year given to farmers is used to benefit the environment.

It should be evident to us all that nourishing the world sustainably requires that we
protect the ecological resources essential for producing food now and in the future.

Organic Agriculture Offers a Solution

The good news is that agriculture can also bring us solutions. About 30% of global crop
production and global food supply is provided by small land holdings, less than 2
hectares, using around 25% of agricultural land, and in a way that usually maintains rich
agrobiodiversity.

Done right, agriculture based on the Principles of Organic Agriculture can be a transition

pathway to the solutions needed for sustainable food systems and climate resilience.

Organic agriculture is an accessible, affordable and empowering system for most

smallholders given that its largely based on the use of local biodiversity and resources
and incurs little external costs – particularly important for cash poor subsistence
farmers.

Farming for the Future

The major problems of our time — energy, the environment, climate change, food
security, financial security — cannot be understood in isolation. We need to create
policies for food and agriculture taking all common concerns of humankind into
consideration.
Such policies and policy tools conducive to sustainable farming are crucial for
supporting organic farmers, who are contributing to the common good and producing
good food for all.

Changing food systems also means changing conditions for farmers and food workers
by placing greater emphasis on equity, social justice, and inclusivity. Changing our
diets, for example, eating less meat, and choosing locally grown, seasonal, organic
produce plays an important role as well.

Characteristics of Organic Farming

 Maximum but sustainable use of resources.

 Minimal use of purchased inputs, only as complementary to local resources.

 Ensuring the basic biological functions of soil-water-nutrients-human continuum.

 Maintaining the diversity of plant and animal species as a basis for ecological

balance and economic stability.

Advantages of organic farming

Farmers can reduce their production costs because they do not need to buy expensive
chemicals and fertilizers. Healthier farm workers. In the long term , organic farms
save energy and protect the environment. It can slow down global warming.

Organic farming methods are studied in the field of agroecology. ... An example of a

natural pesticide is pyrethrin, which is found naturally in the Chrysanthemum flower. The
principal methods of organic farming include crop rotation, green manures and compost,
biological pest control, and mechanical cultivation.

The Four Organic Principles 

1. Principle of Health. This principle points out that the health of individuals and
communities cannot be separated from the health of ecosystem – healthy soils produce
healthy crops that foster the health of animals and people.
Health is the wholeness and integrity of living systems. It is not simply the absence of
illness, but the maintenance of physical, mental, social and ecological well-being.
Immunity, resilience, and regeneration are key characteristics of health.

The role of organic agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or

consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems and organisms from
the smallest in the soil to human beings.

In particular, organic agriculture is intended to produce high quality, nutritious food that
contributes to preventive health care and well-being. In view of this, it should avoid the
use of fertilizers, pesticides, animal drugs and food additives that may have adverse
health effects.

2. Principle of Ecology. Organic agriculture should be based on living ecological systems

and cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain them.

Nourishment and well-being are achieved through the ecology of the specific production
environment. For example, in the case of crops this is the living soil; for animals it is the
farm ecosystem; for fish and marine organisms, the aquatic environment.

Organic farming, pastoral and wild harvest systems should fit the cycles and ecological
balances in nature. These cycles are universal but their operation is site-specific.
Organic management must be adapted to local conditions, ecology, culture and scale.
Inputs should be reduced by reuse, recycling and efficient management of materials
and energy in order to maintain and improve environmental quality and conserve
resources.

Organic agriculture should attain ecological balance through the design of farming
systems, establishment of habitats and maintenance of genetic and agricultural
diversity. Those who produce, process, trade, or consume organic products should
protect and benefit the common environment including landscapes, climate, habitats,
biodiversity, air and water.

3. Principle of Fairness. Organic agriculture should build on relationships that ensure

fairness with regard to the common environment and life opportunities.

Fairness is characterized by equity, respect, justice and stewardship of the shared

world, both among people and in their relations to other living beings.

This principle emphasizes that those involved in organic agriculture should conduct
human relationships in a manner that ensures fairness at all levels and to all parties -
farmers, workers, processors, distributors, traders and consumers. Organic agriculture
should provide everyone involved with a good quality of life, and contribute to food
sovereignty and reduction of poverty. It aims to produce a sufficient supply of good
quality food and other products.

This principle insists that animals should be provided with the conditions and
opportunities of life that accord with their physiology, natural behavior and well-being.

Natural and environmental resources that are used for production and consumption
should be managed in a way that is socially and ecologically just and should be held in
trust for future generations. Fairness requires systems of production, distribution and
trade that are open and equitable and account for real environmental and social costs.

4.Principle of Care. Organic agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and

responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current and future
generations and the environment.

Organic Agriculture is a living and dynamic system that responds to internal and
external demands and conditions.

Practitioners of organic agriculture can enhance efficiency and increase productivity, but
this should not be at the risk of jeopardizing health and well-being. Consequently, new
technologies need to be assessed and existing methods reviewed. Given the
incomplete understanding of ecosystems and agriculture, care must be taken.
This principle states that precaution and responsibility are the key concerns in
management, development and technology choices in organic agriculture.

Science is necessary to ensure that organic agriculture is healthy, safe and ecologically
sound. However, scientific knowledge alone is not sufficient. Practical experience,
accumulated wisdom and traditional and indigenous knowledge offer valid solutions,
tested by time.

Organic agriculture should prevent significant risks by adopting appropriate

technologies and rejecting unpredictable ones, such as genetic engineering. Decisions
should reflect the values and needs of all who might be affected, through transparent
and participatory processes.

This is what the pioneers of organic were working towards, as well as what present-
day organic farmers and eaters strive to achieve: more of these four qualities
encouraged on our planet.

These 5 key limits of Organic are:

 Limited access to safe, effective, pest control options. Organic growers use

pesticides, but from a list based on whether they are natural. ...

 Reliance on Tillage. ...

 Dependency on Animal Agriculture. ...

 Inability to Fully Use Precision Fertilization. ...

 Inability to Use Genetically Modified Crops.

Three benefits of organic farming over conventional farming

1. Organic farming is better for the environment.

2. Organic farming practices reduce pollution, conserve water, reduce soil erosion,
increase soil fertility, and use less energy. 
 3. Farming without pesticides is also better for nearby birds and animals as well as
people who live close to farms.

Disadvantages of organic farming

Organic produce costs more since the yield from a land is not as much as what farmers
produce through the conventional methods. Also, the production cost is high since a lot
of labor and time are involved. There exists a lot of gap in distributing and marketing
organic products.

The essential difference between organic and conventional farming is that conventional

farming relies on chemical intervention to fight pests and weeds and provide plant
nutrition.  Organic farming relies on natural principles like biodiversity and composting
instead to produce healthy, abundant food.

Organic Farming mitigates climate change

1. Reduces greenhouse gases, especially nitrous oxide, as no chemical

nitrogen fertilizers are used and nutrient losses are minimized.

2. Stores carbon in soil and plant biomass by building organic matter,

encouraging agro-forestry and forbidding the clearance of primary

ecosystems.

3. Minimizes energy consumption by 30-70% per unit of land by

eliminating the energy required to manufacture synthetic fertilizers, and

by using internal farm inputs, thus reducing fuel used for transportation.

5. Teaching and Learning Activities

1. Watch the video “IFOAM’s Principle of Organic Agriculture“
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu1Qq-z4h_k,

2. Watch the video “Integrated Organic Farming System: Farmers Group in Lucban
Quezon into Organic Farming

Recommended learning materials and resources for supplementary reading.

Read:

1. IFOAM Organics

2. National Organic Agriculture Program

Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FTLM) adopted

Online learning: google classroom, google meet, messenger groupchat, facebook

page,

Remote (asynchronous): modules, situational analysis,

Assessment Task

On separate sheet

9. References

1. IFOAM Organics International

2. National Organic Agriculture Program

3. http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/org_farm/orgfarm_principles.html