ESSA Activities

IFOAM – Asia CONGRESS: The introduction of ESSA as a National Network of Organic Scientists

September 20,2018  Day 1 Main Conference with the topic: “Sustainability”

ESSA participated in the 3rd Organic Asia Congress 2018 and IFOAM Asia Conference  last September 17-22, 2018, at  Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, with the Theme: ” One Big Family for Innovation and Sustainability”

IFOAM is an International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.  The event (Organic Asia Congress) gathered 21 Asian countries government representatives to have an exchange of best practices on organic agriculture and the sharing of ideas on how to help each other for the advancement of the organic sector in the region.

On September 18, 2018, during the ALGOA Philippines Members Forum at Highland, John Bosco District, ESSA was formally introduced and recognized as a member.  The Network’s key features and objectives were presented by its chairperson, Dr. Blesilda M. Calub.

Signing of Pledge of Commitment together with Dr. Blesilda M. Calub, Chairperson of ESSA; Mayor LIbrado C. Navarro, National VP of LOAMC; Zhou Zeijiang, IFOAM President; ALGOA Representative; and Mr. Ronie Z.  Bautista, SEA Inc. Assistant Executive Director

During this forum, Nicanor Perlas, Executive Director of SEA, Inc. was the keynote speaker of the topic: “Artificial Intelligence:  The Challenge of Organic agriculture and SDGs”. 

Some highlights in this event is the participation of ESSA and SEA, Inc. in the signing of the pledge of commitment in “supporting the successful advocacy in the implementation of Smart Sustainable Organic Agriculture in the Philippines and Asia”. And also the research papers posted in the ESSA’s booth exhibit of Dr. Ted Mendoza and Dr. Blesilda Calub on “Exploiting Heterosis of Hybrid Rice Grown in Different Spatial Arrangement under Organic vs. Agrochemical Intensive Production Systems” and “Home school gardening project” respectively.

ESSA delegates

ESSA delegates who attended this event were six (6) ESSA council members, three (3) SEA, Inc. staff, four (4) professors from UPLB and three (3) participants from Partner’s organization in Cebu City and one from Lifebank Foundation.

ESSA Activities

ESSA: Where it all started

ESSA “Ecosystem of Stakeholders for Sustainable Agriculture”

Solution Ecosystems Activator, Inc. believes that scientific research and knowledge is vital to promote sustainable agriculture. There may be an increasing number of organic agriculture scientists in the Philippines because of the passage of Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 that authorize the Department of Agriculture to fund the Organic farming research in the country.

In advancing sustainable agriculture in the Philippines, a countrywide network of organic agriculture scientists and farmers has been formed.  The idea of its organization was one of the top priorities identified by scientists themselves during the research phase of Smart Agriculture Project (SAP) of Life Bank Foundation.

As cited in the Smart agriculture book of LBF “these scientists are working in isolation of each other. There is often redundancy while large areas of strategic research that are directly useful to farmers are neglected”. Thus, the idea of establishing a network of organic farming scientist is necessary and the research findings of these scientists can be directed to the organic farmers.

The mission is to harness the synergistic effects of converging diverse stakeholders at multi-dimensional realities (earthly and spiritual) and disciplinary levels including the latest findings of the second and more spiritual scientific revolution for societal good.

The network serves as the local, national and global portal for sharing of information, collaboration, exchanges of best practices, sharing of inspiring stories and also mainstreaming of and training in body of organic farming knowledge including quantum agriculture, scientific facts and explanation about organic farming and indigenous knowledge systems.

The network has a unique structure.  The General Assembly (GA) of all members is the ultimate decision-making body of the Network. The GA designates the Council members and the latter will elect among themselves their set of officers. The Council has a mandate for the operational decisions which will be consulted the GA for the potential new policies to be made. Also there is a Network Secretariat that supports the Council in the executing the latter’s responsibilities.

With the primary goal of the Network in building right character as foundation, ongoing workshops in improving and strengthening the inner condition of Network members is mandatory. This is in line with the Network members’ identified motto, “The success of the Network depends on the Inner Condition of the Network”.

The goal and objectives that the Network members chose to pursue in achieving its Mission, gives the Network its identity and unique character.