THERE is a relative awareness about organic agriculture in Davao City and the organic food market held at the Rizal Park every Friday continues to provide access to those who want less of the chemicals we have been imbibing on in the past decades.
But as it's almost a decade since the Organic Agriculture Ordinance of Davao City 2009 has been enacted, it is about time that Davao City as one big community look at its gains and push on further.
The fact remains that the market for organic goods is continuously growing and organic products enjoy a higher price. Having the advantage of farmers already introduced to organic farming and appreciative of its gains, then it should be easy to put in place what has already been made into law.
Reviewing the implementing rules and guidelines of this ordinance, we find the following actions that have to be taken:
The setting up of organic agriculture zones and organic centers, conservation of indigenous farm practices, establishment of an organic gene/seed bank, support services to organic farmers, access to credit for small and organic farmers, biological and botanical control, operationalizing the organic agriculture management council, and incentives to farmers, schools and barangays.
How are these? We wonder.
We remember this ordinance because this was the time when erstwhile Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III, when he took a break from an elective position, pushed for the passage of this as he was the officer-in-charge of the City Agriculture Office. Yesterday was Avila's 62nd birthday, had he been alive, then he would have been pushing this ordinance further. But he passed on more than two years ago, and we can just remember how passionately he fought for organic agriculture to be mainstreamed, knowing its positive effect on the environment, our health, our farmers' productivity and profitability, and the sustainability of our lands.
Let us not let all those efforts be in vain. Let us act on a legacy that has already been laid out almost a decade ago.