CCCI trains Cebu farmers on organic farming and independent certification

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) conducted a two-day training on Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) on February 26 and 27 at the Training Room of the newly renovated Chamber Centre.

A total of 30 participants comprised of farmers, agri-entrepreneurs and advocates of healthy food from Cebu province attended the training.  The objective of the training was to heighten the interest of the participants to promote and expand the outreach of organic agriculture in Cebu.

The trainers were Ms. Rowena Buena and Ms. Carmen Cabling, two senior officers of PGS Pilipinas, a network of PGS practitioners based in Los Baños, Laguna which supports the different PGS throughout the Philippines.

The training highlighted the differences between organic and conventional agriculture and the organizational framework of PGS. According to the trainers many PGS have already been established in the last years in Luzon, Mindanao and Western Visayas, but Cebu was a “white spot on the PGS map” so far.

PGS are locally focused quality assurance systems. They certify producers based on active participation of stakeholders, such as farmers, consumers, institutional buyers or independent actors such as the academe or local chambers.

The systems are built on a foundation of trust, social networks and knowledge exchange. They are based on the national organic standards, but unlike third party international certification schemes, the costs of the PGS are very low and products thus remain affordable to consumers.

Strengthening the sustainability of Cebu’s agriculture sector is a key interest of CCCI to achieve sustainable economic development and inclusive growth in the province. Active participation of different stakeholders of the often-complex agriculture value chains is thus crucial.

“Many farmers want to produce organically and sell their products locally, especially to health-conscious consumers. But either the farmers cannot afford the high costs of an independent certification, or the products become very expensive for consumers. That’s why a PGS is a good solution to promote organic farming at low costs”, said May Elizabeth Ybañez, Executive Director of CCCI.

CCCI welcomes University’s Educational Tour request

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) gladly received the educational tour request of 4th year Business Administration students from the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU), last March 1 at the new training room of CCCI.

ESSU is the very first university to visit the Chamber after its office had undergone a six-month renovation. CCCI, on its part, is in delight to accommodate the request and to provide enough knowledge to university students to enhance a clear picture of the theoretical things they have learnt so far.

ESSU students came in four (4) batches along with some of the University’s faculty members. During the educational tour, the students had been imparted with in-depth learnings and knowledge about CCCI –its history and Quality Management System (QMS) through a short program. Students also had the chance to gain deeper understanding of the services offered by the chamber, which the CCCI staff shared generously and passionately.

For those interested to visit the chamber for an educational tour, one may call CCCI thru 232-1421 or email us at [email protected].