Agri 104a – Introduction to Organic Agriculture
Historical Trends
• Albert Howard - father of modern OA, worked as an agricultural adviser (1905-
1924), documented traditional Indian farming practices and came to regard them as
superior to his conventional agriculture science.
• Lord Northbourne – coined the term “organic farming” in his book, Look to the
Land (written in 1939, published 1940).
o Concepted the "the farm as organism," he described a holistic, ecologically
balanced approach to farming.
• Lady Eve Balfour (1939) - launched the Haughley Experiment on farmland in
England, the first scientific, side-by-side comparison of organic and conventional
farming.
o Four years later, she published The Living Soil, based on the initial findings
of the Haughley Experiment, lead to the formation of a key international
organic advocacy group, the Soil Association.
• 1950s - sustainable agriculture was a topic of scientific interest, but research tended
to concentrate on developing the new chemical approaches.
• J.I. Rodale - popularize the term and methods of organic growing, particularly to
consumers through promotion of organic gardening.
• Rachel Carson – 1962, published Silent Spring, chronicling the effects of DDT and
other pesticides on the environment, widely considered as being a key factor in the
US government's 1972 banning of DDT.
• 1970s - global movements concerned with pollution and the environment increased
their focus on organic farming, encourage consumption of locally grown food, which
was promoted through slogans like "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food".
• 1972 - the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) was
founded in Versailles, France.
• 1980s - around the world, farming and consumer groups began seriously pressuring
for government regulation of organic production, which led to legislation and
certification standards being enacted through the 1990s and to date.
THE ORGANIC AGRICULTURE ACT
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10068 - "Organic Agriculture Act of 2010".
Section 1 Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Organic Agriculture Act of 2010".
Section 4. Coverage - The provisions of this Act shall apply to the development
and promotion of organic agriculture and shall include, but not limited to, the
following:
(a) Policy formulation on regulation, registration, accreditation, certification and
labeling on organic agriculture;
(b) Research, development and extension of appropriate, sustainable environment
and gender-friendly organic agriculture;
(c) Promotion and encouragement of the establishment of facilities, equipment and
processing plants that would accelerate the production and commercialization of
organic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other commercialization of organic
fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and other appropriate farm inputs; and
(d) Implementation of organic agricultural programs, projects and activities,
including the provision and delivery of support services with focus on the farmers
and other stakeholders.
Section 5. National Organic Agricultural Program - a comprehensive organic
agricultural program through the promotion and commercialization of organic
farming practices, cultivation and adoption of production and processing methods
which have already been developed, or to be developed.
Section 6. National Organic Agricultural Board (NOAB) - policy-making
body and shall provide direction and general guidelines for the implementation of
the National Organic Agricultural Program
Section 10. The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards
(BAFPS) of the DA. - The BAFPS of the DA shall be strengthened and empowered
in terms of establishing functional divisions and incremental staffing to serve as the
national technical and administrative secretariat of the NOAB with the member
agencies providing additional staff support as the need arises.
Section 17. Labeling of Organic Produce. - The label of organic produce shall
contain the name, logo or seal of the organic certifying body and the accreditation
number issued by the BAFPS. Only third-party certification is allowed to be labeled
as organically produced.
Section 18 Retailing of Organic Produce. - Retail establishments or stores of
organic produce shall designate a separate area to display the organic produce to
avoid mixing it with non-organic produce.
REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11511 – Amended Organic Agriculture Act
AN ACT AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10068 OR THE ORGANIC
AGRICULTURE ACT OF 2010
Section 2 (h) - Certification is the procedure by which a government agency or
an organic certifying body (OCB) provides written or equivalent assurance that
farms, or production and processing systems, conform to organic standards as
mandated in this Act.
Section 2 (i) - Accreditation is the procedure by which a government agency
having jurisdiction formally recognize the competence of an OCB to provide
inspection and certification services.
Section 2 (o) - Inspection is the examination of farms, food and non-food
products, food control systems, raw materials, processing, distribution and retailing,
including in-process and finished product testing, in order to verify that they
conform to the requirements for being organic. Inspection includes the examination
of the production and processing systems.
Section 2 (p) - Organic bio-control agents refer to organisms and their
associated metabolites as well as naturally occurring substances that control pests
and diseases. These are classified as botanicals, macrobials, microbials, and semi-
chemicals.
Section 2 (q) - Organic Certifying Body (OCB) refers to a legal entity
accredited by a government agency to perform inspection and certification activities.
It is responsible for verifying that a product sold or labeled as "organic" is produced,
processed, prepared, or handled according to relevant guidelines.
Section 2 (r) - Organic soil amendments refer to all the products within the
scope of the Philippine national standard, i.e. organic fertilizers, compost/soil
conditioner, microbial inoculants, and organic plant supplements that are added to
the soil to improve its physical properties.
Section 2 (w) - Small farmer/fisherfolk refers to those utilizing not more than
five (5) hectares of land for the single purpose of, or a combination of the following
purposes for, agricultural crop production, including rice and corn, aquaculture, and
poultry/livestock raising: Provided, That poultry/livestock raising shall not have
more than the following:
* Poultry - 1,000 poultry layers or 5,000 broilers
* Swine/native pigs - 10 sow level or 20 fatteners
* Cattle - 10 fatteners or 5 breeders
* Dairy - 10 milking cows
* Goat, sheep and other small ruminants - 50 heads
* Other animals permitted to be raised, the limits of which are to be
determined by the National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB).
Section 2 (x) - Organic value chain refers to agriculture-related activities that
put farmers, processors, distributors and consumers within a system that produces,
processes, transports, markets and distributes organic agricultural products."
