German NGO targets 9 GAP certified farms in Negros Occidental this year

THE German non-government organization Afos Foundation is currently assisting nine groups and individual farmers in Negros Occidental with farms targeted for good agricultural practices (GAP) certification this year.

Afos is an organization advocating safe and sustainable food in the country through its Optimizing and Upscaling Roles in the Food Supply Chain (OURFood) Program.

Idyl Li Valendez, agriculture technician of OURFood Program, said of the nine farms up for GAP certification this year, two are farmer-groups while seven are individual farmers.

Valendez said there are currently about 200 GAP certified farms in the Philippines, way below thousands in other countries like Thailand and Vietnam.

Of which, only three are in Negros Occidental. These are small farmer-groups assisted by OURFood, he added.

“GAP practice is not yet established in Negros Occidental,” he said, adding that given the small number of certified farms in the country “we are not yet sure if the food we eat are safe.”

The agriculture technician pointed out that vegetables, for instance, which are grown in the absence of GAP standards, are highly vulnerable to chemical, microbial, and physical contamination.

Valendez cited lack of awareness as one major contributor of having small number of GAP certified farms in the province.

"The first GAP certified farm in the country is in Negros Occidental. However, the current small number manifests that we are lagging behind our neighboring countries," he said.

Through the 2nd National Conference on Food Safety in Bacolod City on July 17 to 18, Afos Foundation, along with its partner-stakeholders, is optimistic to spur stronger awareness on GAP.

Doreen Alicia Gamboa-Peña, president of the Association of Negros Producers-Foundation for Enterprise Development Inc. (ANP-Fedi), said they are working on changing the mindset of Negrenses.

Unlike organic certification, GAP involves simple requirements like observing proper distance between animals and crops in a farm and proper documentation.

GAP and organic farming complement each other. The latter is actually the end target of having good agricultural practices, Gamboa-Peña said.

"Local farmers should realize that GAP provides them competitive advantage especially with the challenges brought by the Asean economic integration," she added.

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