Status and Issues of Organic Certification in CALABARZON

Date

5-2017

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Loida E. Mojica

Committee Member

Jeanette Angeline B. Madamba, Agnes T. Banzon, Dinah Pura T. Depositario

Abstract

Organic certification is the guarantee system for organic producers which is used in order to validate if a business or farm is in compliance with the organic standards. The main objective of certification is to allow the organic producers to market, sell, and label the products as “organic” (Baier 2012). This study described and analyzed the current status and issues of organic certification among organic farming practitioners in CALABARZON Region. Specifically, the study intends to: 1) present the processes and procedures of obtaining organic certification; 2)b. Present the profile of organic farms and farmer-respondents in CALABARZON; 3) determine the current status of individual/group farms which have organic certification; 4) identify the drivers of and barriers to organic certification and; 5) to provide recommendations on how the organic farmers can address the identified barriers.

The conceptual framework of the study was comprised of two contextual elements: external and internal factors.The external factors components are the processes and procedures in obtaining organic certification, and the drivers and barriers to organic certification. These components mostly reflect the major issues of concern in organic certification. On the other hand, the internal factors components are the farmer demographics (age, civil status, household size, educational attainment) and farm characteristics (farm size, land tenure, farm location, years in farming). A total of fifty-seven (57) organic farming practitioners, nine certified farms and 48 non- certified farms, were interviewed in all the provinces of Region IV-A. The list of organic farmers was obtained from the offices of Provincial Agriculturists. List of certified organic farms was obtained from the offices of Organic Certification Center of the Philippines, National Organic Agriculture Program, and Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards.

Market requirements and the compliancewith organic regulations were the two major drivers in obtaining organic certification. The support given by the government, potential increase in market size and premium price for organic products were also important in obtaining organic certification. Compliance with organic regulations was the only common driver of organic certification adoption for certified and non-certified of organic farmers.

The identified main barriers among non-certified organic practitioners were thehigh cost of certification, tedious process and bulk requirements on organic certification, and lack of farm readiness for certification. Moreover, small farm size and lack of awareness were also confirmed as barriers in obtaining organic certification for them.

The results indicate that, under current circumstances, organic farming practitioners in CALABARZON have strong motives for the organic adoption, however, they face challenges in organic certification. The high cost of third-party certification was the main barrier for non-certified farmers to avail of certification, but nevertheless 83.33 % (40 out of 48) of them showed interest to avail certification in the near future driven by the perceived potential increase of market size through compliance with organic regulations. Based on the results of the study, the economic benefits of organic certification for certified farms are limited. There were non-certified farms that were able to penetrate the same market and generate almost the same and/or higher amount of farm income compared to certified farms. This implies that organic certification has no significant impact in generating additional farm income.

Recommendations for non-certified organic farming practitioners, government institution and for non-organic farm practitioners who want to engage in organic farming were generated. For non-certified organic farming practitioners, it is recommended primarily to thoroughly study the technical and regulatory aspects of organic certification. The farmers should also measure the benefits of organic certification in their own farm operations. It is only after these, that steps can be taken for application. Since the study found that the tedious process and bulk requirements of certification are the barriers for organic certification, practitionerscan seek the help of government institutions, particularly the Department of Agriculture, since this has particular unit that is in charge of the organic industry. The organic farming practitioners in region who cannot afford high cost of certification charges, can establish a group or organization ontheir respective provinces register as one organization and share the certification expenses.

It is also recommended that the Department of Agriculture (DA) should continue to provide the incentive packages such as certification subsidy and the pre-assessment services for organic farms before the application for organic certification. The institution should also consider the development of affordable certification for domestic markets, like PGS, for small farmers who cannot afford the high cost of certification. Simplification of organic certification process and harmonization of requirements must be considered. The DA should also strengthen its collaboration with the organic farmers, by providing them not only financial assistances but also technical assistance.

It is suggested for non-organic practitioners to be familiar with the organic farming systems before they engage in the business. Non-practitioners must also observe first the practices, methods and systems used by the current practitioners because they can provide good information to ensure that conversion or transition plans are in compliance with the PNSOA. It is also recommended to include in their decisions the size and complexity of the operation, and the cost associated in adoption and certification.

Language

English

LC Subject

Organic farming—Philippines

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2017 M17 T463

Notes

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Document Type

Thesis

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