Published — June 14, 2021
The following post does not create a lawyer-client relationship between Alburo Alburo and Associates Law Offices (or any of its lawyers) and the reader. It is still best for you to engage the services of your own lawyer to address your legal concerns, if any.
Also, the matters contained in the following were written in accordance with the law, rules, and jurisprudence prevailing at the time of writing and posting, and do not include any future developments on the subject matter under discussion.
After reading this article about organic agricultural act, you may also read, “On Commercial Fisheries”
-
It is the policy of the State to promote practice of organic agriculture that will benefit the farmers’ incomes
-
Organic refers to particular farming which is not in the classical chemical sense
-
Organic agriculture promotes the ecologically sound, socially acceptable, economically viable and technically feasible production of food and fibers
The Organic Agricultural Act, as amended, was created as a means to promote and implement the practice of organic agriculture in the country that will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm productivity and farmers’ incomes, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent the depletion of natural resources, encourage the participation of indigenous organic farmers in promoting their sustainable practices, further protect the health of farmers, consumers, and the general public, save on imported farm inputs and promote food self-sufficiency.
What is organic agriculture?
The law says:
First, understand what is meant by the word “organic”. Organic refers to the particular farming and processing system, described in the standards and not in the classical chemical sense. The term is synonymous in other languages to “biological” or “ecological”. It also a labeling term that denotes products considered organic based on the Philippine National Standards for organic agriculture.
Now, when you hear the term, “organic agriculture”, it includes all agricultural systems that promote the ecologically sound, socially acceptable, economically viable and technically feasible production of food and fibers. It dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. It also covers areas such as, but not limited to, soil fertility management, varietal breeding and selection under chemical and pesticide-free conditions, the use of biotechnology and other cultural practices that are consistent with the principles and policies of Organic Agricultural Act, and enhance productivity without destroying the soil and harming farmers, consumers and the environment.
Also, the Organic Agricultural Act created the “Organic Production System” which is designed to:
-
enhance biological diversity within the whole system;
-
increase soil biological activity;
-
maintain long-term soil fertility;
-
recycle wastes of plant and animal origin in order to return nutrients to the land, thus minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources;
-
rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural system;
-
promote the healthy use of soil, water and air as well as minimize all forms of pollution thereto that may result from agricultural practices;
-
develop and promote the use of biotechnology in agriculture;
-
handle agricultural products with emphasis on careful processing methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital qualities of the product at all stages; and
-
become established on any existing farm through a period of convention, the appropriate length of which is determined by site-specific factors such as the history of the land, and type of crops and livestock to be produced.
Alburo Alburo and Associates Law Offices specializes in business law and labor law consulting. For inquiries, you may reach us at info@alburolaw.com, or dial us at (02)7745-4391/0917-5772207.
All rights reserved.
SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR MORE LEGAL UPDATES!
[email-subscribers-form id=”4″]