Organic Farming
Exhibits
Advocates, supporters, and implementers of
organic farming gathered on Sunday, August 23, 2015 at the Urban Agriculture
Eastwood City Central Plaza. The organic Farming Trade Fair showcases the
benefits of consuming organic products, urban farming method and the importance
of supports for the Filipino farmers.
Several booths are set up for organic farm
owners and food products who are introducing their goods. They explain the
benefits of eating organic products.
Some views of those who attended the
organic Trade Fair. Agriculture Magazine editor-in-chief Sac Sarian said,
“organically grown food products do not only make a person healthier, it also
helps the local farmers”,
“In my view, the only way to protect the
future generation is by providing healthy and safe food, and protecting the
environment”, said Limpin.
Sarian pushes for a massive organic
farming information drive among farmers many of who does not even have a slight
grasp of the concept. He is featuring farming innovations and developments in
Agriculture Magazine to increase the knowledge of the farmers and the future
farmers.
Several organically produced plants such
as vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants, and seedlings among others are being
exhibited. The exhibits and sales will be opened again on August 23, and 30.
Agriworkers Slam
Kiko On
“Oil Palm
Project Proposal”
Presidential Adviser for Food Security
Francisco "Kiko" Pangilinan drew criticism from agricultural workers
under the national federation Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), for
zealously promoting the government’s disastrous plan to allocate one million
hectares for oil palm plantations in the Philippines within the next ten years.
UMA Deputy Secretary General Ranmil
Echanis slammed Pangilinan’s speech during the 9th National Oil Palm Congress
in General Santos City last week, where Pangilinan said that “Palm oil
production is key to poverty alleviation.”
“As a government official ensuring food
security, Pangilinan must know that oil palm plantations have brought only
hunger and extreme poverty in pea-sant areas, especially in Mindanao,” said
Echanis.
“Agricultural workers employed in the
country’s oldest palm oil plantations in the Caraga region suffer hazardous
working conditions and very low wages. Even after 30 years of hard toil, many
remains as casual workers,” said Echanis, referring to reports from UMA’s local
affiliate in Agusan del Sur, the Pinagbuklod na Lakas ng Manggagawa sa
Plantasyon ng Agusan Plantations, Inc. or PIGLAS-MAPAPI.
According to a 2012 study by the Center
for Trade Union and Human Rights (CTUHR), poverty, poor working conditions and
the high level of unemployment particularly among women have pushed children to
work in various capacities as plantation workers. About 24 percent of
plantation workers in Agusan del Sur are children between 5 to 17 years old.
UMA strongly disapproves Pangilinan’s
proposal for the “massive conversion” of so-called “idle lands” for oil palm,
and pointed out that the history and the aggressive expansion of these
plantations especially during the past few years led instead to massive
landgrabbing and dislocation of peasant and indigenous peoples’ communities.
Extrajudicial killings and other rights
violations were reported by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in areas
such as Opol, Misamis Oriental where lumads believe that the palm oil firm A.
Brown is behind the killing of the local leader of the Higaonon tribe, Gilbert
Paborada, in 2012.
UMA
also claimed that crop conversion and the use of toxic chemicals in oil palm
plantations resulted not only in the destruction of traditional food sources in
communities, but in the massive loss of agricultural areas devoted to food
production.
“The Php 50 million government budget for
oil palm expansion will benefit only foreign companies, investors, corrupt
landlords and bureaucrats, and will push peasants deeper into poverty,” Echanis
concluded.
UMA, KMP and CTUHR are parts of a task force
for the formation of a broad network opposing the aggressive expansion of oil
palm plantations (NO PALM) in the country.
Malaysia has converted millions of
hectares of riceland to both oil and rubber trees. Malaysia now produces more
rubber and palm oil. She sells her oil and rubber at higher prices and buy her
food needs like rice from Vietnam and Thailand at low price. Malaysia is
economically well off now than the Philippines. Malaysia likewise does not
suffer too much from climate change.
Among the most depressed sector in the
Philippine society is rice farmers. There is really need to look for more
productive crops to improve the economic level of farmers. /MP
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