Experience Organic Farmers Festival and Terra Madre Visayas 2023
The sixteenth edition of the Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival is slated for November 15 to 19, 2023, in Bacolod City, alongside the 1st Terra Madre Visayas.
Each festivals will likely be held on the identical dates and at the identical venues, which will likely be on the Provincial Capitol grounds, North Capitol Road, Negros Residences, and the Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros (FTMON).
Because the maiden festival in 2006, the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental have hosted this annual gathering, the longest-running organic festival within the Philippines and in Asia.
Leading this yr’s activities are Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson of Negros Occidental and Governor Manuel Sagarbarria of Negros Oriental.
Gov. Sagarbarria has pledged his support to rekindle the partnership between Occidental and Oriental Negros, with the shared aspiration of creating Negros an organic island, in accordance with Dina Genzola, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Negros Occidental Provincial Agriculturist.
This yr’s theme, “Regeneration for Future Generations,” will highlight the importance of eco-friendly farming practices, emphasizing the concept of sustainable regenerative farming, Genzola said.
The Organic Fair and Exhibit, a standout feature of the festival, will showcase one of the best of organic offerings, as visitors feast on an array of farm produce, products, and merchandise, Genzola added.
Other than the fair, the festival will host cook fests, caravans, cultural performances, talent nights, and awards ceremonies.
A comprehensive lineup of seminars, workshops, and conventions will cover diverse topics, including sustainable regenerative farming and fishing, indigenous practices, organic agriculture, water conservation, entrepreneurship, women and youth empowerment, food and beverages, and health and wellness.
Esteemed guests from IFOAM (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements) ASIA, including representatives from Korea and India, are also joining the festival.
“Because the highlight shines on Negros Island, we are able to expect that this November will likely be a momentous occasion for sustainable farming, culture, and biodiversity,” Genzola emphasized.
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
The Province of Negros Occidental has long been celebrated because the “Organic Agriculture Capital of the Philippines.”
Its wealthy history is deeply intertwined with agriculture, particularly sugar production, dating back to the Spanish colonial period. Nonetheless, the sugar industry faced challenges within the Nineteen Eighties, resulting in a shift towards sustainable farming practices.
Negros Island’s commitment to organic farming led to the signing of memorandum of agreement between Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental in 2005. This partnership aimed to ascertain the island because the “Organic Food Bowl of Asia,” a mission formalized through the founding of NISARD (Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development) in the identical yr.
The inaugural Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival took place in 2006, followed by the formation of ONOPRA (Organik na Negros! Organic Producers and Retailers Association) a yr later.
The festival was placed on hold in 2020 and 2021 attributable to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic but made a triumphant return in 2022.
The Provincial Government of Negros Occicental has at all times prioritized sustainable agriculture with the intention to achieve food security. This is obvious within the Provincial Development Agenda of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson called ABANSE Negrense, where “A” stands for “Agricultural Competitiveness and Food Security.”
COLLABORATION
This yr’s Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival will happen in tandem with Terra Madre Visayas.
The first-ever Terra Madre Visayas event is a partnership among the many Slow Food Community of Negros, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Slow Food International, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Department of Tourism, and the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.
The event goals to unite food communities, academe, youth delegates, and stakeholders to advertise small-scale, traditional, and sustainable food production, in accordance with Reena Gamboa, president of Slow Food Community of Negros Island.
Delegates from various Slow Food communities across the Visayas are slated to participate, alongside representatives from Slow Food International in Italy.
The central theme, “Visayas: Food and Culture Biodiversity,” underscores the festival’s commitment to eco-friendly farming practices and collectively envisions the long run of our food systems and planet.
“The Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival and Terra Madre Visayas will function catalysts for change, uniting individuals and communities within the pursuit of a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future, ensuring a legacy of regeneration for generations to return,” Slow Food International Councilor for Southeast Asia Ramon “Chinchin” Uy Jr. said.
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