Governor backs organic farming for Zambo peace

Aside from being an environmentally friendly policy, organic agriculture is turning out to be a key tool for peace in Zamboanga del Sur in Mindanao. Governor and former environment secretary Antonio Cerilles said people will not have time to think of “bad things" if they are not hungry. “I am wondering why we don’t make use of the huge potential of agriculture in our efforts in enhancing the peace and order, and even in the promotion of the culture of peace, in our country," he said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site. He said the problem of peace and order, especially in the provinces, is rooted on the issue of productivity. Zamboanga del Sur provincial agriculturist Marilyn Bersales added peace and order in the provinces “is basically an issue that is related to a full stomach." “Agriculture is a big tool for peace. When a person is productive and [their] family always have something to eat; they can send their children to school and they are able to meet their most basic needs; I think peace will be achievable," she said. Cerilles said local governments should harness the potential of agriculture in peace promotion. “A productive person with the help of a very supportive local government will always think of the common good. A supportive local government will always have the support of the people because people will not want to destroy the gains. So in short, the best tool for peace in this country is agriculture since we are an agricultural country." But he admitted this is not an easy task especially since “introducing something new, meaning a person has to abandon something a person practices for a long time, will always be challenged." He recalled that when they introduced to the upland dwellers of the provinces the potential and huge market for cassava, no one believed them at first. “No one believed us and no one wanted to plant cassava because, according to them, there was no ready and open market for cassava. They also claimed it will make the soil infertile for other crops," he said. Yet, the Provincial Agriculture Office persisted until local farmers who tried it experienced success. Zamboanga del Sur is now averaging a cassava harvest of more than five million kilos every six months. “Now, there are no other boats that will dock in our city pier except the one that gets our cassava," Cerilles said. With the help of food conglomerate San Miguel Corp., the province is now recognized as one of the Philippines’ leading producers of cassava chips, with a total income of P89 million in 2008 alone. “Now, people in upland communities have money since they have income from their cassava. This is one reason our peace and order situation in the province has improved a lot," he said. — LBG, GMANews.TV