Promotion and Development of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines

December 27, 2005

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 481

PROMOTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

WHEREAS, it is a declared policy of the State to promote agriculture development, conserve environmental resources and promote social equity and product access to foreign and domestic markets of agriculture and fishery commodities; DSETac

WHEREAS, the development of Organic Agriculture nationwide as a farming scheme enhances global competitiveness, environmental integrity, food security and safety, and increases productivity and alleviate poverty;

WHEREAS, the State recognizes the potential of Organic Agriculture in increasing value-added in agricultural export and local consumption products;

WHEREAS, the stakeholders have recognized the potential of certified organic farming as a way to lower input costs, utilization of local raw material inputs, conserve non-renewable resources, mainstream into high-value markets and improve farm income;

WHEREAS, the stakeholder of Organic Agriculture have manifested their strong interest to aggressively promote organic agriculture with support from the government on the research, development and extension activities;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution and existing laws, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. Declaration of Objectives. — This Executive Order shall have the following objectives:

(a) promote organic agriculture as a farming scheme especially in rural farming communities;

(b) forge effective networking and collaboration with the stakeholders involved in the production, handling, processing and marketing of organic agriculture products;

(c) guarantee food and environmental safety by means of an ecological approach to farming; and

(d) ensure the integrity of organic products through the approved organic certification procedures and organic production, handling and processing standards.

SECTION 2. The National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP). — The Department of Agriculture National Organic Agriculture Program shall focus on, but not limited to:

(a) Regulations and Guidelines

(b) Certification and Accreditation

(c) Market Promotion and Networking

(d) Organic Information for Producers, Handlers and Processors

(e) Research, Development and Extension

SECTION 3. The National Organic Agriculture Board (NOAB). — There is hereby constituted the National Organic Agriculture Board, hereinafter referred to as the NOAB. The NOAB shall be composed of the following:

(a) The Secretary of the Department of Agriculture as Chairperson;

(b) The Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry as Vice-Chair;

(c) The Secretary of the Department of Health as Vice-Chair;

(d) The Secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government;

(e) The Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; and

(f) The Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology.

There shall be appointed to the NOAB seven (7) representatives engaged in the practice of organic agriculture. Such representatives may be taken from, but not limited to the recommended sectors listed below:

a) Three from the private sector who operate an organic farm; organic handling and processing; and establishment with significant trade in organic products;

b) Two from the NGO/PO who represents public interest or consumer interest;

c) One from organic certifying body as identified under Section 6 of this E.O.; and

d) One from the academe with expertise in areas of environmental protection and resource conservation, toxicology and biochemistry.

A member of the Board shall serve for a term of 3 years. A member cannot serve consecutive terms unless such member served an original term that was less than 3 years.

A National Technical Committee (NTC) shall be created as an implementing arm of the policies, programs and projects identified and approved by the Board. It shall be drawn from the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Land Reform, representative from the private sector and civil society.

The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Product Standards (BAFPS) of the Department of Agriculture shall serve as the Technical and Administrative Secretariat of the Board and the NTC with the member agencies providing additional staff support as the need arises.

SECTION 4. Functions, Duties and Responsibilities of the NOAB and the NTC. — The NOAB shall have the following function, duties and responsibilities:

(a) Formulate policies, plans, programs and projects to promote and develop Organic Agriculture;

(b) Oversee the successful implementation of the Organic Agriculture programs and projects;

(c) Call upon any government agency to carry out and implement programs and projects identified by the Board;

(d) Call upon private sectors, people's organizations (POs) and non-government organizations (NGOs), and the academe to provide advise on matters pertaining to organic agriculture;

(e) Identify sources of financing to expand organic agriculture; and

(f) Submit annual and other periodic reports to the Office of the President.

The National Technical Committee shall:

(a) Implement Organic Agriculture programs and projects approved by the Board;

(b) Update the Board on the status of the programs, projects and activities undertaken for the promotion and development of organic agriculture;

(c) Forge effective networking with the various stakeholders involved in organic production; and

(d) Perform such other functions, duties and responsibilities as may be necessary to implement this Executive Order.

SECTION 5. Compliance Requirements for Organic Standards. — Adoption of the Philippine National Standard for Organic Agriculture (PNS/BAFPS 07:2003 ICS.65.020) specifically listed in ANNEX "A" shall be mandatory throughout the country for the sectors involved in the production and marketing organic agriculture products.

SECTION 6. Organic Accreditation. — The Department of Agriculture through Administrative Order 13 Series of 2003 listed in ANNEX "B", otherwise known as the "Guidelines in the Accreditation of Certifying Bodies for Standards on Organic Agriculture" shall accredit certifying bodies as prescribed in the guidelines. EaHIDC

SECTION 7. Labeling of Organically Produced Products. — In addition to the requirements for labeling of organic products, commodities, goods and merchandise pursuant to PNS/BAFPS 07:2003 ICS.65.020 listed in ANNEX "A", the products, commodities, goods or merchandise must contain contents prescribed in this Executive Order.

SECTION 8. Research, Development and Extension. — The DA, DOST, SCUs and other appropriate agencies such as but not limited to scientific/professional organizations and research institutions shall develop, enhance, support and consolidate activities and related technologies to protect the environment and improve organic matter depleted agricultural soils, reduce cost of production, improve product quality and increase value-added for global competitiveness of Organic Produce.

SECTION 9. Appropriations. — The Department of Agriculture shall allocate from its present budget such amount not less than Five Million Pesos (P5,000,000.00) for the initial operation of the NOAB and its Secretariat. A portion of the amount thereof may be taken from the Presidential Social Fund for the initial year of implementation of the program. Thereafter, the Department of Agriculture shall include an appropriate amount in the General Appropriations Act following its enactment and every year thereafter.

SECTION 10. Implementing Guidelines. — The Board, within ninety (90) working days in consultation with other agencies and stakeholders concerned shall formulate the implementing rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this Executive Order.

SECTION 11. Separability Clause. — If any of the provisions of the Executive Order is declared invalid, the remainder shall remain operative.

SECTION 12. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall take effect immediately after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

DONE, in the City of Manila, on this 27th day of December, in the year of Our Lord Twenty Hundred and Five. HCaIDS

Definition of Terms

For the purposes of this Executive Order, the following definitions of terms shall apply:

Agricultural inputs — all substances or materials used in the production or handling of organic agricultural products

Agricultural products — any agricultural community or product, whether raw or processed, including any commodity or product derived from livestock for human or livestock on consumption

Certified operation — a crop or livestock production, wild-crop harvesting or handling operation, or portion of such operation that is certified by an accredited certifying agent such as utilizing a system of organic production

Conventional agriculture — farming systems dependent on the input of artificial fertilizers and/or pesticides or failing to conform to the Philippine National Standards in any other way

Farm unit — an agricultural area or production managed organically, which a farmer or a group owns or in any other way is responsible for

Label — a display of written, printed, or graphic material on the immediate container of an agricultural product or any such material affixed to a bulk container containing an agricultural product, except for package liners or a display of written, printed, or graphic material which contains only information about the weigh of the product

Labeling — any written, printed, or graphic presentation that is present on the label of a product accompanies the product or displayed near the product

Livestock — any cattle, sheep, goat, swine, poultry, or equine animals used for food or in the production of food, fiber, feed, or other agricultural-based consumer products; wild or domesticated game; or other non-plant life, except such term shall not include aquatic animals for the production of food, fiber, feed, or other agricultural-based consumer products

Organic — in this text the word refers to the particular farming and processing systems described in these standards and not in the classical Chemical sense (The latter shall be clearly marked with a + for ease of identification). The term Organic is nearly synonymous in other languages to "biological" or "ecological",

"Organic" is also a labeling term that denotes products according to organic standards.

Organic Agriculture — "includes all agricultural systems that promote the environmentally, socially and economically sound production of food and fibers. These systems take local soil fertility as a key to successful production. By respecting the natural capacity of plants, animals and the landscape it aims to optimize quality in all aspects of agriculture and the environment. Organic agriculture dramatically reduces external inputs by refraining from the use of chemo-synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals. Instead it allows the powerful laws of nature to increase both agricultural yields and disease resistance." Definition of IFOAM (International Federation of Agricultural Movements).

Standards — are norms, sets of guidelines, requirements and principles that are used as in organic agriculture and processing. The term "standards", as used here refers to Philippine National Standards relevant to local agroecosystems production.

Restricted inputs — inputs for which there are conditions for the use imposed by the certification program