As chemical fertilizer prices skyrocket by 35 percent in a single week, Slow Food International Councilor Ramon “Chinchin” Uy Jr., told the Senate Committee on Agriculture Wednesday morning that the secret to national food security lies in “waste, not oil.”
Testifying during an inquiry conducted by the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform on the impact of rising oil prices on agricultural and fisheries production, Uy. who represents Slow Food in Southeast Asia and operates the Fresh Start Organic Farm in Negros Occidental, pointed out that agroecology acts as a shield against global economic shocks.
At the hearing, conducted under proposed Senate Resolution No. 346, to evaluate the preparedness of government agencies to provide timely and adequate support to farmers and fisherfolk , Uy noted that chemical fertilizer jumped from P1,900 to as much as P2,800 per bag in just seven days.
Uy reminded the committee that when global oil prices surged in 2006, the cost of chemical fertilizer quintupled, yet organic farmers remained largely unaffected.
By producing their own fertilizer from biodegradable waste, these farmers achieved independence from imported materials—a lesson Uy argued has become even more urgent today.
His Fresh Start Organic Farm now produces the 200 tons of organic fertilizer a month, Uy said.
He also pointed out that RU Foundry owned by his father, Ramon Uy Sr., has transferred the technology to 10,000 areas around the Philippines, proving that local waste management can be successfully transformed into a stable supply of affordable farm input.
The impact of this shift is evidenced by impressive yields that challenge the necessity of chemical intervention, Uy said.
In Negros, where approximately 20,000 hectares have been converted to organic agriculture, fully organic rice fields have achieved yields of up to six tons per hectare, exceeding the national averages for conventionally grown rice, he said.
Uy argued that by turning organic waste into fertilizer, the country addresses multiple challenges at once: waste disposal, high production costs, and farmer vulnerability.
He stressed that money previously spent on imported chemicals should instead circulate within local communities to support livelihoods and healthier food systems.
Uy urged policymakers to move beyond short-term responses and invest in structural, long-term solutions rooted in agroecology and farmer-led innovation.
He maintained that agroecology is not a marginal alternative but an essential path to food security and farmer dignity in the face of global energy and climate crises.
The Senate Committee responded by recommending a shift toward converting waste into organic fertilizer to reduce chemical imports, Uy said.
This intervention reinforces the global mission of Slow Food to ensure food is good, clean, and fair, while demonstrating that agroecology is the most viable path to maintaining economic stability for Filipino farmers, he added.*
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