By Zhan Francisco Ramirez
RUSSIAN Honorary Consul Armi Garcia called on young Filipinos to take an active role in farming, emphasizing the urgency of organic agriculture as a sustainable path toward food security during the graduation ceremony of Armson Polytechnic Institute (API) Inc.-Integrated Diversified Farm in Barili town, south Cebu, last Friday, May 30, 2025.
Garcia, who is also the president of API, chairperson of the Philippine Cacao Industry Council and president of the Philippine Cacao Industry Association, highlighted the institution’s mission to engage the youth in revitalizing the aging agricultural sector and caring for the land, stressing that nurturing the soil today ensures a healthier, more resilient future for the nation.
Addressing a crowd of new graduates of Organic Agriculture Production NC II, Garcia emphasized the vital role of young people in securing the nation’s food security.
“The purpose of this institution is to promote farming among the youth because we know that in the agriculture sector, our farmers are aging.”
In an interview after the graduation ceremony, Garcia said the growing interest among young Filipinos in agriculture is a promising sign. She believes that institutions like the API are more than just training centers; they are catalysts for change, instilling in the next generation the values of sustainability and environmental stewardship.
“That’s why I’m really here,” Garcia shared. “To encourage them not only to engage in farming but to engage in organic farming, to give back to nature. Our land needs care and, in the process, if we take care of the land, the land, our soil, will give back good food.”
Soil-friendly
Garcia also highlighted a critical challenge the agricultural sector continues to face which is the long-standing dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
This, she warns, has taken a toll on the health of the soil in many countries, a situation the Philippines must avoid.
“Our thrust now is to shift toward organic farming because it’s more friendly to the environment. We’ve seen what happened in other countries where their soil became ‘sick,’ and we don’t want that to happen here,” she said. “We want our young farmers to care for our soil.”
API, in partnership with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in the Philippines, is taking concrete steps toward this vision.
Through training programs and agricultural education with an organic thrust, the institution hopes to inspire and equip a new generation of farmers with both the knowledge and passion to care for the environment.
“We hope to remain active in promoting organic agriculture,” Garcia concluded, “because it’s very important, not only for the future of farming but for the future of food security in our country.” / ZHAN FRANCISCO A. RAMIREZ / JUNIOR JOURNO