GOVERNOR Eugenio Jose Lacson stressed the importance of developing organic agriculture and uplifting the lives of Negrense farmers, during a Symposium on Organic Farming attended by organic practitioners and stakeholders, held at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City, Friday.

The activity is a program of the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental and the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation (NIISARD), Inc. with the theme, “Scaling up Organic Production in Negros Island.”

According to Governor Lacson, it must be a primary goal to enhance the market potential of organic products, and there is a need to strengthen the crop insurance and protection measures to reduce crop losses.

“We need to be reminded that agriculture is the foundation of our food security, the foundation of our survival,” the governor added.

NISARD President Edgardo Uychiat said that there is a need to scale up organic agriculture in the province and he is happy that the governor is supporting the province’s initiatives and achievements in organic agriculture.

Andre Leu, director of Regeneration International and former president of IFOAM International talked on “Potential Organic Market for Negros Island Producers”; Augusto Camba, investment manager of C4D Partners talked on “Spreading Organic Farming Practice in the Philippines”, while lawyer Koronado Apuzen, Executive Director of FARMCOOP, talked on “Exporting Organic Banana to Japan”.

“Think of agriculture as more than just a farmer planting a crop or raising livestock -- agriculture is our tool for lifting people out of poverty, our tool for food security and sufficiency, and most importantly, our tool for survival,” added Gov. Lacson. (PR)