Iloilo city, in the Philippines, will play host to the Organic Farming Congress on October 17-18, 2007. Quite apt considering that the Western Visayas is a major producer of organic “muscovado” sugar, organic, “darag” native chicken, organic “balangon” banana chips and other organic products.
True Organic farming is a means of farming which avoids the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, growth supplements or feed additives. Farmers usually rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity and tilth to supply plant nutrients, to control weeds, insects and other pests.[source]
Organic farming in a way is beneficial to the environment and us humans because we are reducing the use artificial chemicals that enter the environment and the food produce that we consume. The drawback however is that it said to be more costly to produce and that the yields aren’t as high as normal, chemically assisted farming. Those who promote organic farming however say that once mainstream acceptance of organic crops occur economies of scale will tip the cost factor to the organic farmers and consumers favor.
The Organic Farming Congress will be a symposium where the private and government sectors can collaborate for the promotion of organic farming. There will be knowledge and technology exchanges on organic farming best practices.
Topics to be discussed include:
- The Growing Global Demand for Organic Food
- Enabling Regulatory Mechanisms for organic Agriculture
- Experiences and best practices in Organic Farming.
The event will be facilitated by the DA Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards, the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium(WESVARRDEC), and the Panay Organic Producers Association (POPA), Inc.
The Philippine Department of trade and Industry (DTI) placed organic products as among the top ten priority sectors for revenue development in the Philippines.
Article here
Category: Organic
