Organic farming advocates are making calls to shift to organic farming to combat global warming and climate change, just in time for the 15th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, Denmark in December 2009.
Isagani Serrano, acting president of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) and a convenor of Go Organic! Philippines, said delegates to the UN meeting must not only demand for developed countries to agree to deeply cut their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but to change the way they do things to reduce their carbon footprint, particularly in agriculture.
Organic farming helps stabilize the climate by reducing GHG emissions as it makes use of organic fertilizer. Chemical based agriculture, which accounts for 33 percent of GHG being emitted into the atmosphere, is being blamed for global warming but will not probably be taken up in the meeting as it will focus more on reducing GHG brought about by industrialization such as the use of coal, fuel and oil.
Serrano adds, the Philippines is contributing to climate change mitigation by shifting to organic farming. He insisted that the Philippines and other developing countries should firmly push for deep cuts in GHG among industrialized countries to ensure climate justice. (Go Organic! Philippines/PIA)
