CCCI to hold 3-day conference to promote organic agriculture

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) will be holding a three-day organic fair and conference to promote organic agriculture in Cebu.

Mario Panganiban, chairman of the committee on ways and means of Cebu Going Organic, said the activity is meant to promote sustainability on organic agriculture in the province as well as encourage businesses to venture into organic farming.

“We aim to attract investments in organic farming so we can secure the food of Cebu,” Panganiban said in a press conference on Tuesday.

He reported that Cebu imports 90 percent of its food from neighboring islands and only 10 percent are produced here.

Panganiban said the advocacy also aims to draw interest from the younger generation to consider farming as a source of livelihood.

“The average age of farmers these days is 55 years old and it seems that the children now are no longer interested in farming. So, we hope to address that issue to ensure sustainability in farming industry,” he said.

CCCI partnered with the Department of Agriculture (DA), Cebu Coalition for Food and Security and AFOS Foundation to hold the first Cebu Going Organic (Cebu GO) Fair and Conference on October 21-23 at the Cebu International Convention Center.

According to CCCI, the three-day event will be a “bigger leap” especially in the implementation of sustainable farming system in Cebu as well as neighboring provinces.

The event also advocates healthy lifestyle through an organic approach.

“This event also aims to create a holistic understanding of organic farming, its benefits, advantages and challenges, as well as introduction to appropriate technologies, provision of access to market information and imperatively promote the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 or RA 10068,” CCCI said in a statement.

RA 10068 establishes a comprehensive organic farming program that includes incentives for farmers engaged in the production of agricultural crops free from harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizer.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on October 20, 2011.