Location
The Republic of
the Philippines consists of an archipelago of 7,107 islands situated
South East of mainland Asia and separated from it by the South China
Sea. The total land area is approximately 300,000 km2. The Philippines
is separated from Taiwan on the North by the Bashi Channel (forming
part of the Luzon Strait) and from Sabah, Malaysia (northern Borneo),
on the South West by the Balabac Strait (off Palawan) and the Sibutu
Passage (off the Sulu Archipelago). Bordering seas include the
Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean on the East, the Celebes Sea on
the South, the Sulu Sea on the South West, and the South China Sea on
the West. The Philippine Islands, in general, have a maritime
tropical climate and, except in the higher mountains, temperatures
remain warm, the annual average ranging from about 23° to 32°C
throughout the archipelago. Annual normal relative humidity
averages 80%. Rainfall and seasonality differ markedly throughout the
islands. .
Agricultural Sector
The agricultural sector in the Philippines accounts for 14% of the GDP
and involves 36% of the total labour force (CIA, 2007). Palay (unhusked rice)
and corn are the two cereals widely grown in the Philippines. Coconuts
is a major export earner. Other agricultural crops are sugarcane,
pineapples, Cavendish bananas (a dwarf variety), mango and coffee,
which are also important earners of foreign exchange. The Philippines
is the leading supplier of Eucheuma seaweed accounting for about 80%
of total world supply. (Department of Agriculture). Low productivity
and low incomes from agriculture and fisheries are consistent with the
prevalence of rural poverty. The situation is further aggravated by
low farm gate prices of produce and high retail prices of food, which
are among the highest in the region. In terms of area, about
a third of country's 30 million hectares is used for agriculture (food
crops 52%; food grains 31%; non food (pasture and cut flowers) 17%).
Brief overview of organic farming
According to IFOAM & FiBL (2006), there are 35,000 organic farms
on 14,140 hectares of land under organic management, with a share of
total agricultural land of 0.12%. Although organic agriculture in the
Philippines is still in its emergent or incipient phase, the discourse
of organic agriculture is fast gaining ground in the country. Organic
agricultural production is limited though steadily growing, reportedly
between 10-20 percent annually (FAS/USDA, 2000), but reliable
statistical data are hardly available. The organic market in the
country has been described as a “niche market”. A number of organic
products are increasingly being sold in major supermarkets, with a
price premium reportedly ranging from 20-30 to 30-50% over non-organic
products (Yussefi & Willer, 2003). In 2005, the President of
Philippines approved a document on the "Promotion and Development of
Organic Agriculture in the Philippines", recognizing the potential of
organic agriculture in the country and providing
government supporting the development of the sector.
Brief overview of key organic products
Locally grown organic products include rice, fruits and vegetables (both
fresh and processed), herbs and spices, along with, soybean, and honey.
Some livestock and poultry, fish, dairy products, and fertilizers are
also sold as organic products. The main organic export products
include muscovado sugar, fresh bananas, banana chips, and coconut oil,
with Japan, Western Europe, and the U.S. as the primary destinations.
Most of the organic production in the Philippines is exported to
international markets. Most recently, a niche domestic market has
developed and domestic demand increased (PCARRD, 2006)
The network
The organic movement in the Philippines was initiated in the 1980s by
a series of uncoordinated initiatives promoted by some NGOs. With no
support by the government, for the rest of the 1980s a number of other
projects emerged and introduced organic farming in the Philippines.
Today there are many private companies and NGOs involved in the
production of organic food. The Organic Producers and Traders
Association (OPTA) was formed in 1995. The Organic Farming Information
Network (Phil-Organic) is an information service that provides
accessible data/information to various stakeholders in the organic
farming industry. MASIPAG is a farmer-led network of people's
organizations, non-government organizations and scientists working
towards the sustainable use and management of biodiversity through
farmers' control of genetic and biological resources, agricultural
production and associated knowledge. The OCCP is an independent,
private, membership-based, organic-standard setting and organic
certification body. The PDAP is a national network of Philippine NGOs
working on the promotion of rural enterprises for poverty reduction
and as tool for peace building in conflict-affected areas and also
active in the promotion of organic agriculture.
MASIPAG - Farmer-Scientist Partnership for Development
3346 Aguila St., Rhoda Subd.,
Los Baños, Laguna
Tel. no.: +63 (49) 536-5549
E-mail: info(at)pag.org
http://www.masipag.org/index.html
OCCP - Organic Certification Center of the Philippines
78 B. Dr. Lazcano Street
Barangay Laging Handa,
Quezon City 1103
Tel./Fax No. +632 374 8214
E-mail: info(at)occpphils.org
http://www.occpphils.org/
PDAP - Philipine Development Assistance Programme, Inc.
78-B Dr. Lazcano St., Laging Handa, Quezon City, Philippines
Tel./Fax No.: +632 3730556; 3748216;3748214
http://www.pdap.net/
ASIAN NGO COALITION for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC)
6-A Malumanay Street Corner Mayaman Street,
UP Village, Diliman
Quezon City 1103
Philippines
+632 433 7653; +632 9217498
E-mail:
angoc(at)angoc.ngo.ph
http://www.angoc.ngo.ph/
OPTA - Organic Producers Trade Association
References
-
CIA FactBook, 31.05.07
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rp.html
- FAO, 24.10.2006: Key Statistics of Food and Agriculture External Trade.
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO),
Statistics Division.
www.fao.org/es/ess/toptrade/trade.asp?dir=exp&country=3&ryear=2004
and
www.fao.org/es/ess/top/country.html?lang=en
-
FAO, IFOAM, and Earth Net Foundation (2003): Proceedings of the
Seminar on the Production and Export of Organic Fruit And Vegetables
in Asia.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/AD429E/ad429e00.HTM
-
IFOAM & FiBL (2006): The World of Organic Agriculture. Statistics and
Emerging Trends 2006. International Federation of Organic Agriculture
Movements (IFOAM), Bonn & Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
FiBL, Frick, pp. 108-117.
-
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources
Research and Development (PCARRD), 2006 in Organic Agriculture
Information Network
-
Yussefi, M & Willer, H,(2003), `The World of Organic Agriculture
Statistics and Future Prospects´in International Federation of Organic
Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)
