Organic farming solution to country’s food problem

Providing sufficient and affordable food  to every Filipino household remain as the government’s biggest challenge.

As the Philippine agriculture industry is yet to achieve fully the national food sufficiency goal, one of the best solutions to this perennial problem is to introduce to our farmers the latest technology and techniques to farming that can yield more produce or even double their current capacity.

Our growing population, dwindling and nutrient-drained land resources, persistent pests and diseases, and more frequent and deadlier calamities due to climate change all contribute to our country’s food insufficiency.

A cheaper, safer and more productive technique to farming today that is gaining popularity the world over is organic farming.

Natural and organic fertilizer differs from chemicals in that they feed your plants while building the soil. Soils with lots of organic material remain loose and airy, hold more moisture and nutrients, foster growth of soil organisms, and promote healthier plant root development.

Once  chemicals are added to fertilizers,  the soil gradually loses its organic matter and microbiotic activity. As this material is used up, the soil structure deteriorates, becoming compact, lifeless and less able to hold water and nutrients. This  in the long term will become destructive to the soil as more and more fertilizer will be needed to produce result.

A  farm research company called Farm Asia is now leading the way to change out old ways to farming.

The Bio Foliar Organic-based liquid fertilizer, according to Apple Toribio, the company president, has live Micro Organisms essential to plant processes especially photosynthesis.

Toribio said this kind of fertilizer will help establish a healthy root system, increases natural resistance to  pests, diseases and climatic changes.  It also has the ability to bring back the soil’s natural fertile state by helping it regain its inherent bio chemical properties.

“The Farmasia Microbial Inoculant Plus is popularly known as “soil inoculant” and acts as agricultural amendments to promote plant health” Toribio added.

Organic agriculture considers the medium- and long-term effect of agricultural interventions on the agro-ecosystem. It aims to produce food while establishing an ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest problems. Organic agriculture takes a proactive approach as opposed to treating problems after they emerge.
In many agriculture areas, pollution of groundwater courses with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides is a major problem. As the use of these is prohibited in organic agriculture, they are replaced by organic fertilizers and through the use of greater enhancing soil structure and water infiltration.

Organic agriculture contributes to mitigating the greenhouse effect and global warming through its ability to sequester carbon in the soil. Meanwhile, pesticide exposure for pregnant women working in the fields can have devastating effects on their babies including poisoning.

A well managed organic systems with better nutrient retentive abilities, greatly reduce the risk of groundwater pollution. In some areas where pollution is a real problem, conversion to organic agriculture is highly encouraged as a restorative measure and considered by many as the answer to food and poverty problem, Toribio concluded.