Slow Food International Councillor Addressed Philippine Senate on Rising Oil Prices and the Need for Agroecological Solutions

PRESS RELEASE –Pasay City, Philippines – 8 April 2026

Ramon S. Uy, Slow Food International Councillor for Southeast Asia and owner of the Slow Food Farm Fresh Start Organic Farm in the Philippines, addressed this morning the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform during an Inquiry in Aid of Legislation on the impact of rising oil prices on agricultural and fisheries production.

The hearing was conducted pursuant to Proposed Senate Resolution No. 346, which directed the Committee to assess the effects of increasing energy costs on farmers and fisherfolk and to evaluate the preparedness of government agencies to provide timely and adequate support.

During his intervention, Uy shared concrete, long-standing experience demonstrating how agroecology and organic farming helped farmers remain resilient amid global energy and fertilizer price shocks.

“When global oil prices surged in 2006, the cost of a 50-kilogram bag of chemical fertilizer increased from 500 pesos to 2,500 pesos. However, organic farmers were not affected. By producing our own fertilizer from biodegradable waste, we became independent of imported materials. As fertilizer prices rise sharply once again, this lesson becomes even more urgent. Today, the price of chemical fertilizers is 2,600–2,800 pesos per bag; last week, it was 1,900 pesos.” Uy said.

From waste management to farmer empowerment

Uy explained how, beginning in 2005, his family-led initiative developed commercial-scale organic fertilizer production through vermicomposting and bokashi composting, transforming biodegradable waste into affordable farm inputs. The operation reached a production capacity of 200 tons of organic fertilizer per month, offering farmers a stable alternative to chemical fertilizers.

Through technology transfer led by RU Foundry Shop, these organic fertilizer methods were shared with more than 10,000 communities across the Philippines, strengthening local food systems while also addressing waste disposal challenges.

Reducing dependence on imported inputs

Uy warned that the latest surge in chemical fertilizer prices—reported to have risen by around 35% in recent weeks due to geopolitical tensions and energy market volatility—posed serious risks to national food security. He stressed that overreliance on imported agricultural inputs left farmers exposed to crises beyond their control.

Organic systems, he noted, had proven not only environmentally sustainable but also productive. In Negros, where approximately 20,000 hectares had been converted to organic agriculture, fully organic rice fields achieved yields of up to six tons per hectare, exceeding national averages for conventionally grown rice.

“By turning organic waste into fertilizer, we addressed multiple challenges at once: waste management, high production costs, and farmer vulnerability. Money that would have gone to imported chemicals instead circulated within local communities, supporting livelihoods and healthier food,” Uy added.

A call for long-term food system resilience

Uy concluded his testimony by urging policymakers to move beyond short-term responses and invest in structural, long-term solutions rooted in agroecology, local knowledge, and farmer-led innovation.

“It is time to prepare the country for a future that does not rely on chemicals in agriculture. Agroecology is not a marginal alternative—it is an essential path to food security, farmer dignity, and resilience in the face of global crises,” Uy said.

At the end of the inquiry, the senators recommended converting waste into organic fertilizer to reduce the importation of chemical fertilizer and invest in manufacturing organic fertilizer from waste.

Uy’s intervention reflected Slow Food’s global commitment to good, clean, and fair food and reinforced the role of agroecology in building food systems capable of withstanding energy, climate, and economic shocks. Uy’s Fresh Start Organic Farm is part of the Slow Food Farms network, which enhances farmers’ livelihoods and ensures fair compensation and long-term economic stability. Slow Food amplifies the voices of these farmers, connecting them to a global community—including activists, chefs, consumers, food artisans, fishers and fellow farmers—who have long supported the movement.

You can contact Ramon Uy at [email protected]

Slow Food Press Office

Paola Nano – [email protected] (+39) 329 8321285

 Alessia Pautasso – [email protected] (+39) 342 8641029

Slow Food  is a global movement that unites local groups and activists around a shared vision: ensuring that everyone has access to food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it, and good for the planet. Founded in Italy in 1986 as a response to the growing industrialization of food and the rise of fast food culture, Slow Food has since expanded its reach to more than millions of supporters in 160 countries worldwide.