Originally published December 18 2005
Filipino official talks about the progress of organic farming
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Gregory Kitma, president of the Philippine Biodynamic Agricultural Research Foundation Inc. (PBARFI), addressed the issue of farmers' dependency on chemicals and how that has delayed the shift toward organic farming in the Philippines.
"This dependence is the biggest stumbling block in the promotion of organic farming among farmers, thus delaying the improvement of the biodiversity of agricultural farms that would prevent further environmental degradation," Gregory Kitma, president of the Philippine Biodynamic Agricultural Research Foundation Inc. (PBARFI), said.
He said that in organic agriculture, farmers in Benguet, for instance, could drastically cut down on expenses for expensive fertilizers and chemicals while being assured of harvesting products that would be globally competitive.
Kitma rallied vegetable farmers to appreciate organic farming when he keynoted the opening here on Monday of the province's celebration of its 105th foundation day.
He said, however, that adopting organic farming would not be that easy.
"We must first start with a change in the farmers' attitude by letting them grasp the philosophy of the system," Kitma told the Inquirer.
"Then we create a strong demand in the domestic market for vegetables that are organically produced."
He said the shift to organic farming will become a battleground for multinational corporations which have made farmers market for their commercial farm inputs for so many years.
"Farmers have been brainwashed to believe that they could not raise quality vegetables without using commercial fertilizers, pesticides or insecticides," Kitma said.
The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has been blamed by some for increased toxicity of soil and hazardous runoffs from some farms that seep into water tables.
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