GO Organic! is urging the government to push for 'ecosystem-friendly' agricultural programs now to avoid possible 50 percent to 70 percent drop in rice yield in the coming years.

Go Organic! Philippines lead convenor Atty. Efren Moncupa, in a statement, said "the government should step up programs that promote ecologically sound food production practices to help mitigate the impacts of global warming and climate change."

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"The threats of global warming and climate change, which cause temperature rise to unprecedented levels, are real and the Philippines will be among the first to feel its adverse effect, particularly in agriculture," he added.

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City have been conducting massive advocacies on the issue of climate change and the effects it may cause, including droughts that would likely lead to agricultural challenges.

Moncupa, former Agrarian Reform undersecretary, expressed alarm over predictions that the country's rice production will drop by 50 to 70 percent by 2020. "This will definitely impact on the Filipinos, particularly the poor."

But in a web report entitled "Global Food Projections to 2020," it says of good things to happen in the coming years for agriculture sectors. The report says that "rice prices are projected to fall 11% by 2020, demand will increase by 32% or about 122 million metric tons, yield will increase from 2536 kg/ha in 2009 to 3238 kg/ha in 2020, and total production will be about 500 million metric tons worldwide."

But Moncupa said "the projections might cause more hunger in the coming years," adding that Filipino farmers might rely on said stats without knowing the real scene. "Rice farmers, who have long been complaining of extreme hunger despite the fact that they are the ones producing the staple food for the Filipinos, will be hardest hit."

Moncupa also reacted to the report entitled "What Happened to Seasons" released by the international advocacy group Oxfam, which predicted that yield in rice-producing countries like the Philippines will drop by 10 percent for every one-degree Celsius rise in temperature.

"Aside from rice, corn production will also suffer. Corn is an alternative to rice in poor provinces, particularly in the Visayas and Mindanao regions," it added.

The Oxfam report was released in time for the Group of Eight wealthiest countries in the world or G8 meeting in Italy this month.

Moncupa said the government, especially the provinces, should know that rice is not a primary product to push for agricultural projects that are friendly to the ecosystem. "The government should step up programs that will not only help increase production but fight global warming and climate change."

Go Organic! Philippines is a consortium of nongovernment organizations led by the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM).