ORGANIC FARMING A POTENTIAL DOLLAR EARNER FOR THE PHILIPPINES

   Broad Initiatives for Negros Development, Inc. (BIND) encourages local farmers to switch to organic farming because it is a less expensive method and has a huge market abroad.
     Roberto Gasparillo of BIND, in a forum at the Sea Breeze hotel October 15, said that Japan is the largest market in Asia, and the 2^nd in the world, for organic farm produce. According to Gasparillo, there is a 15.6 billion dollar market in the United States, 13.8 billion in Europe and 920 million in Canada.
     Gasparillo said that less than 1 percent of Asia’s soil is dedicated to organic farming and in the Philippines only 2000 hectares with .02 percent under organic management.  BIND encourages farmers to submit for organic certification as it makes marketing organic products easier to manage with government support.  He explained that with organic farming, there is less reliance on artificial inputs like synthetic fertilizer which is expensive and in the long run harmful to the soil.
     Gasparillo said that organic farming also includes animal husbandry as 70 percent of antibiotics produced worldwide is used for animals which we humans eventually consume as meat.  He believes that this is one of the causes for the advent of diseases in humans.
     Organic products with export potentials are:  rice, muscovado, sugar, coconut sugar, virgin coconut oil, nata de coco, sugar palm,vinegar, coffee, mango, chicken, fresh vegetables and herbal products like Banaba leaves and Ampalaya.
     The BIND Forum was a part of the Negros Goes Organic 6, which opened at San Juan Street, October 15, as part of the MassKara Festival Celebration. BIND, a civil society organization and Kaisampalad, are sponsoring other events during the MassKara Festival: Food Security and Globalization Conference on Oct. 13 and 14, a World Food Day Concert featuring Noel Cabangon on the evening of the 15^th, a Mass at the Cathedral and a World Food Day Lunch with Street Children on the 16^th. (PIO/CMO)

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