Sustainable agriculture inititatives in Negros gained LGU support in 2005. There is now a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the two governors of Negros declaring to establish by 2010 at least 10% of agricultural lands in Negros for organic production, and to establish a Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Board, six months after the MOA signing.  The MOA was signed in April 2005 in Tanjay City by Governor Joseph Marañon for the provincial government of Negros Occidental and Governor George P. Arnaiz for Oriental Negros provincial government.

Inspired by this development, civil society representatives from Centro Saka Inc., NegOrnet (Negros Oriental Network of NGOs and POs (engaged in local governance), NIRD Inc. (Negros Oriental Institute for Rural Development) and SEARICE and some farmers cooperatives and federations initiated several caucuses in 2005 to share insights on the MOA. In these caucuses, small farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries have expressed favorable reaction to the provisions of the MOA which they regard offer opportunities for their active participation as well as opening advocacies for engaging the respective local government units. Thus, the group decided to hold a consultation-workshop in February 2006 to unite the civil society advocates and organic practitioners on a common framework and to outline strategies and activities on how to pursue the imperatives of the MOA.

Thirty representatives from 22 civil society organizations, farmers cooperatives and church based organizations in the province of Negros Oriental attended the two-day (February 9 – 10, 2006) consultation-workshop which was held at the Emmaus Center, Bishop's Compound, Brgy. Bagacay in Dumaguete City.  The Civil Society Consultation Workshop was held to arrive at a common position on the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the two governors.

During the first day of the workshop, two resource persons provided inputs on sustainable agriculture and organic standards. A training staff from BIND (Broad Initiatives for Negros Development, Inc.) who is a practitioner of the SRI (System on Rice Intensification) and Fair Trade marketing gave an input on the Seven Foundational Aspects and Principles of Sustainable Agriculture. After which, Mr. Armando Aquino of the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines shared updates and enterprise prospects of organic products for Filipino producers and the Philippine Organic Standards. After the inputs, the participants were divided into workshop groups, which later shared their outputs in the plenary on the following morning.

On the sexond day, the plenary affirmed a draft Sustainable Agriculture Development Framework, which would be presented to the Governor of Negros Oriental sometime in April 2006. The plenary also drew up a declaration and agreed to constitute the participants into the Organic Negros Alliance (ONA). Elected to the Council of Conveners were the following: Eugene A. Quirante of Centro Saka Inc. (Co-Chairperson); Gregorio Fernandez; Co-Chairperson (NegOrNet); Janel Geconcillo of NIRD; Rev. Roy Mark B. Berame; Jr. of Kalauman Development Center; Mary Anne dela Raya of PAGBAG-O; Ester Viajedor of Tuburan Foundation; Vicky Elumir of the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Dumaguete; Claro Deguit of PHILNET-Visayas; Socrates P. Lugasip of SEARICE; Ariel Joseph of ORMACO; and Edna Mijares of DOTAMCO.

The Organic Negros Alliance (ONA) affirmed its commitment to responsive governance by acknowledging current local government initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture and organic production as a way of responding to the broad concerns on public health, food safety and security, agricultural productivity, ecological balance and sustainability. ONA also expressed its willingness to take a pro-active engagement with government. Through its advocacies, the alliance hopes that more can be achieved for the small farmers. The alliance is also aware of the importance of opening venues for dialogue, interaction and the exchange of views and perspectives on the development agenda propounded by provincial government leaders of Negros Occidental and Oriental Negros in its joint MOA.

To realize the goals set by the MOA, ONA believes that government will need a critical mass of advocates and organic practitioners. For its part, the alliance expressed readiness to cooperate and coordinate with the government on the aforementioned development agenda.

As an initial token towards a productive partnership endeavor in transforming Negros into an Organic Farming Island, ONA will submit the results of the two-day Civil Society Consultation-Workshop to the local government. The alliance will also to contribute to current on-going efforts to craft a Sustainable Agricultural Development Framework that is guided by sustainable agriculture principles, such as, environment friendly, cultural appropriateness, social justice, economic viability, holistic science, gender sensitivity, and appropriate technology.

The participants of the two-day workshop were able to identify different components that were considered essential to a sustainable agricultural development framework. Among these are: stakeholder unification, production, processing, promotion, marketing, support system, institutional mechanisms and policy legislations. Below are the goals and the strategies that would be employed to achieve the identified components.

Component 1: Unification and Preparatory Process

Goal:

Leveling off and unification of stakeholders (CSO, LGUs, Academe, Business, Church, etc.) behind a sustainable organic agriculture framework to guide the Negros Organic Island initiative and by developing effective mechanisms for multi-stakeholder coordination and cooperation based on principles of transparency and people's participation

Strategies:

• Dialogue and unification between government and other stakeholders

• Consultation/forum

• Lobbying

• Defining the role of the different stakeholders (CSO, NISARD foundation, etc)

Requirements

• Budget/funding

• Propose SA framework (c/o CSO) and Master Plan (c/o NISARD BOARD, provincial board)

• Working committees

• Commitment and MOA

Component 2: Production

Goals:

1. Enhancement, dissemination and adoption of sustainable organic agriculture technologies and practices for various crops and livestock and production of quality products (chemical free, GMO free, healthy products) in accordance with community-based internal quality control system of organic standards

2. Farmer's have good access and control over the resources

Strategies: Year 1

• Data gathering or profiling

• Training and orientation on SA and technologies

• Massive information campaign

• Series of production planning

• Exposures, lakbay-aral

• Organize Community certification body (IQCS)

• Formation of organic producers network, organize production scheme (specialization of products, marketing etc)

Year 2

• Training

• Piloting

• On-farm trials (Varietal, Organic materials, Pest control)

• Crop conservation and improvement (Breeding, community seedbanking) later to develop a community protection on local genetic resources

• Upgrading of livestock

• Exposure, lakbay-aral

• Information and education campaign

• Expansion of areas

• Monitoring and documentation of the project

Requirements:

• Baseline information

• Value formation trainings

• Government Commitment on SA

• Budget

• Pool of Trainors and Local technicians

• Community registry of local seeds

Component 3: Processing

Goal:

Maximization and enhancement of the value of organic products and resources through processing, product development and packaging that will further improve the marketability and economic viability of organic production

Strategies:

• Technology-processing training

• Set-up facilities for processing

• Processing of alternative inputs, appropriate tools

• Collaborative work with LGUs (solid waste management)

Requirements:

Year 1

• Baselining

• Government support (funding, technical and legislations)

• Funding

• Cooperation of different stakeholders

• Market matching

Year 2

• Training

• Development of products

Component 4: Promotion of organic products

Goal:

Intensification and mainstreaming of the promotion of organic products throughout the island and outside in order to raise consumer awareness, expand the market and make information available regarding supply and demand of organic products

Strategies:

• Education campaign in all sectors (Year 1)

• Mobilize all government agencies in promoting organic products

• Development of school curriculum on SA-Organic agriculture (DECS)

• Media campaigns (broadcast, website and prints, organic program

• Establish agro-fair yearly for organic products

• Establish cultural groups in promoting SA organic agricultural

• Establishment of community garden in the cities/municipalities/barangays

• Activate consumer organization

Requirements:

• Budget/funding

• Cooperation of different stakeholders

• Creation of advocacy and campaign body or committee

Component 5: Marketing of organic products

Goal:

Development of alternative markets and channels for organic products both for internal and external markets in order to meet and sustain consumer demand, promote greater access to organic products, and ensure just pricing mechanisms for both organic producers and consumers

Strategies:

• Establish/develop the local marketing system controlled by farmers

• Establish marketing networks from barangay, municipal to provincial levels

• Establish marketing outlets: Requiring all malls and other institutions/groups to put up organic sections and organic outlets in the province

• Establish organic marketing research

• Organize producers and marketing group

• Mandate all hospitals, schools and government agencies to patronize organic products

• Establish socialize pricing and marketing scheme

Year 1

• Baselining of organic producers, products and inputs

• creation of Provincial marketing committee

• marketing strategy and planning

• development of IQCS

• producer-consumer meeting

Requirements:

• Strong cooperative

• Budget/funding

• Cooperation of different stakeholders

• Facilities

• IQCS

Component 6: Support System for organic marketing

Goal:

Development and establishment of support services for organic agriculture such as market support, credit access, post harvest facilities, and other inputs to ensure sustainability and viability of organic production

Strategies:

• Post Harvest facilities for organic produce

• improve handling and packaging of organic products

• Credit and marketing support

Requirements:

• Government support, subsidy and legislations

• Funding

• Cooperation of different stakeholders

• Skills training

Component 7: Institutional Implementation and Policies and legislation

Goals:

1. Institutionalization of the participation and capacity building of different stakeholders, especially farmers, in the formulation, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of sustainable organic agriculture policies and programs from island-wide to provincial, municipal and barangay levels. This will be done through the setting up of Sustainable Agricultural and Rural Development Boards or similar committees and bodies at all levels that will be responsible for overseeing and ensuring the operationalization of the Negros Organic Island

2. Adoption of policies and legislation through participatory processes, as well as allocation of budgets and resources, that will support and strengthen the vision of Negros Organic Island. This would include the enactment of ordinance prohibiting genetically modified organisms (GMOs), institutionalization of an Internal Quality Control System (IQCS) for organic standards, prioritization of support to agrarian reform beneficiaries in the conversion to sustainable organic agriculture, and enforcement of environmental laws essential to protecting the environment and natural resources of Negros Island.

Strategies:

• Formation and lobbying of policies and ordinance (NGOs-POs)

• Participation and capacity building

• Creating ordinances from Provincial- municipal-Barangay

• Allocating funds (Provincial-Barangay)

• Promotion building (schools and universities)- Information dissemination

Requirements:

- IQCS body from brgy. to provincial level

• Declaration of Negros island as GMO free (all living)

• Adopting negros Island as GMO free

• Target-Pilot areas (Agrarian reform areas, BADCs)

• Support agrarian reform program

• Review and adoption of existing Environmental laws (such as solid waste management control )