The Negros Occidental Sanggunian is expected to hold public hearings on a proposed ordinance to promote sustainable agriculture and protect biodiversity that will replace the ordinance banning the entry of Genetically Modified Organisms into the province.

The proposed ordinance is authored by Board Members Edgardo Acuña, Enrique Miguel Lacson and Nehemias de la Cruz.

Lacson said the ordinance is pending before the SP Committee on Laws chaired by Acuña and the Committee on Agriculture headed by Board Member Adolfo Mangao.

Before the SP as a whole acts on the ordinance, the two committees will have to hold public hearings on it, he said, but added that he did not know yet when they would be.

The ordinance states that the provincial government recognizes that there are different farming systems in sustainable agriculture, and that different farming systems may offer different economic opportunities to farmers.

Thus it is the policy of the province to respect the farmers’ choice of their own farming system, it states.

It also states that the province recognizes the capacity and expertise of the national government, particularly the Department of Agriculture, in regulation that ensures the safety of agricultural inputs.

The ordinance states that the Office of the Governor shall formulate an agricultural program that will:

*Respect the individual farmer’s choice of farming methods but shall provide incentives to the adoption of scientifically deemed agricultural practices;

*Promote sustainable organic farming practices and assist farmers to obtain certification of their organic produce by certifying agents accredited with the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Products Standards;

*Promote co-existence  of various sustainable farming systems  such as between  organic farming and GMO-based farming provided that any GM-crop and GM-crop derived  ingredient introduced or made in the province has been given a biosafety permit by the Bureau of Plant Industry  or any other national regulatory agency, and shall have been field tested locally.

Lacson said considering the erratic weather behavior brought about climate change, there is a need to explore the planting of crops that can survive extreme weather conditions such as droughts brought on by El Niño.

He said there are GMO varieties that are drought resistant.*CPG

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