VISION |
MISSION |
The Interdisciplinary Studies Center on Organic Agriculture (IDSC-OA) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) shall be a leading organization dedicated to advancing and applying high standards of interdisciplinary research, development and extension to provide excellent outputs and support services for stakeholders within the university, across communities, and to national and global programs.
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The IDSC-OA, as a virtual center, is committed to pursue holistic inter- and trans-disciplinary basic and applied research, development and extension (RDE) programs on organic agriculture in order for UPLB to contribute to the attainment of national goals related to sustainable food systems. It shall also initiate local, national and global partnerships that further strengthen and expand interdisciplinary studies related to organic agriculture.
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Organic Agriculture in the PhilippinesConventional agriculture has been documented to cause human health problems and detrimental effects to the environment. To address this and other concerns, Republic Act (RA) 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act (OAA) of 2010 was promulgated. The Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA 10068 contains specific provisions for financing of a national organic agriculture program including among others, the conduct of “...research, development and extension of appropriate sustainable environment and gender-friendly organic agriculture (OAA Section 4b)”.
Since the enactment of RA10068, the Department of Agriculture (DA) established organic agriculture as one of the national priority programs of the country with allocated resources for its promotion and establishment. However, the lack of science-based knowledge and information on various aspects of organic agriculture; limited and fragmented information available to stakeholders; weak capacity development; and inadequate policies and support systems have held back the successful establishment of organic agriculture in the country. Given the multi-faceted challenges to organic agriculture, there is a need for holistic, systems approach and interdisciplinary collaboration among various government, non-government and private institutions as well as with communities and peoples’ organizations. Basic and applied research generated under Philippine conditions is imperative to provide the science backbone to organic agriculture suitable to the country’s specific needs and challenges. |
Strategic RDE for Organic Products and Systems |
Organic Agriculture Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Trade |
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