ROTARY CLUB of CUBAO EAST

NAME OF PROJECT

THE OUTSTANDING PHILIPPINES ORGANIC AGRICULTURISTS (TOPOA)

RC CUBAO EAST, DISTRICT 3780 NATIONWIDE SEARCH

PROJECT PROPONENT PROJECT AREA

: :

PROJECT BRIEF
The Outstanding Philippines (TOP) Organic Agriculturists (TOPOA) Awards

Project Rationale:
There is an imperative necessity to promulgate environment-ecology friendly system of food production, thereby sustaining societys existence viably. One surest way of administering and/or implementing the pertinent provisions of Republic Act 10068 otherwise known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, is to recognize the key players and stakeholders in the food production, agriculture research and extension, etc. The RI Rotary Club of Cubao East endeavors to help and support the Government in its policy thrust towards the utilization and attainment of the Organic Agriculture, by forging ties with the Department of Agriculture and its agencies to come out with the TOPOA yearly winners, which shall be open to both the Agriculturists in the civil service, as well as Agriculturists in the private sectors, whose unflinching efforts have not been waned by foul or unhealthy means of competition.

Objectives
1. To recognize and give merit to individuals and groups that excelled in terms of showcasing their activities, accomplishments, and commitments towards organic agriculture/farming. 2. To support the Department of Agriculture, in particular, and the Government, in general, in the promotion towards effective & efficient implementation of EO 481 (Promotion & Development of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines) and the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010. 3. To document the successes of individuals and groups initiatives on organic agriculture/farming.

Nominees:

Nominations may be received from individuals or organizations who believe that the Nominees are worthy of the recognition as Organic Agriculturists (in either public or private practice)taking into consideration the criteria set by the TOPOA Search Committee. All nominees shall each receive an acknowledgement letter, and those who shall be in the short-list shall each receive a Certificate of Appreciation from the Technical Working Group (TWG).

Criteria:
The following shall be the basis of the independent Panel of Judges (non-member of the RCCE) who shall be chosen by the Awards Committee: Professional/Work Ethic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20% Impact/Magnitude of Organic Agri. Input/Output . . . 25% Privacy-Public Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15% Genuiness/Sincerity/Profundity of Organic Agri.. . . . . 20% Relevance/Quality/Quantity/Timeliness . . . . . . . . . . . 20%

Awardees, Conferrors, Venue

While the awardees shall be conferred the medallion and a handsome Plaque of Award or specially-designed trophy, medallion, and incentive prizes of cash and/or kind. The RCCE, the DA Secretary shall assist the President of the Republic of the Philippines in conferring this awards in Malacanan Palace.

Partners:
Designated Events Management Team as part of the TOPOA Secretariat Department of Agriculture & the National Organic Agricultural Board (NOAB) Head Legislature in charged with the Organic Agriculture and related committees Private entities as Sponsors FAO and other domestic & international organizations advocating for Organic Agriculture

Awards Search Committees:

Nominations Committee shall receive nominations from individuals and/or entities, and may, as its option, nominate prospective awards. It shall later on serve as screening, as well as provide a short-list of prospective awardees, which shall be transmitted to the Panel of Judges. It shall also be tasked to ensure that the background check be undertaken by requesting PNP/NBI and other agencies if nominees have no criminal recordand to attest to the probity of nominees. Awards Committee (shall among others, serves as the Secretariat to the constituted Panel of Judges from DA, NOAB, Sponsors, etc.) Program & Meetings Committee shall ensure that committee meetings shall be conducive to quality meetings and program inputs/outputs where members are duly notified at least oneweek before the meeting ensue.

Sponsorship Committee shall endeavour to reach and invite prospective sponsors and comeout with relevant, timely and responsive features that suits sponsorship needs and wants. Publicity & Media Relations shall be in charge of all the tri-media and social networking imagebuilding and other avenue for dissemination of the Awards Search activities. Souvenir Program Committee shall constitute the fund-raising arm of the Awards Search, as well design, and come-out a handsome souvenir magazine which it shall as provide the awardees, attendees, sponsors and others, during the conferment of the awards. Venue & Physical Arrangement shall coordinate with the Program & Meetings Committee as to the venue and physical arrangement of each meeting and event that takes place in the entire duration of the Awards Search.

Schedule of Activities/Details:
Project Campaign: August 01 - continuing Project Launching: Oct 12, 2011 Publicity Period : Optimum coverage possible Search Period : Oct. 12 30 Jan, 2012 Awards Date : Feb. 11, 2012 (Tentative) Awards Venue : Preferably in Kalayaan Hall or anywhere in Malacanang Palace

Budget Estimate:
Expenses: 10 goldplated medallions @ P3,500 = P35,000 10 trophies for awardees @ P2,500 = P25,000 100 certificates @P250 = P 2,500 10 plaques for the Panel of Judges @P2,500 = P 25,000 Committee expense (meetings, venue) = P250,000 Miscellaneous (PR, publicity) = P500,000 10 Cash Prize for the awardees @ P100K = P1,000,000 Other Minor prizes =P1,000,0000 P2,837,500 or roughly PhP3M

Approved by:

CONRAD T. DIEZA, JR
RCCE Club Silver President
ROTARY CLUB OF EAST CUBAO (RCCE) One Source Building 1706 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave, Cubao Quezon City : (02) 703-0558 +639294318367 / +639064930909 / +639228531341 : 632 736-1752 : Presrcce_ctd@yahoo.com rccesecretariat@gmail.com PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE

http://www.organic.org/articles/showarticle/article-206Top 10 Reasons to Support Organic in the 21st Century

Source: Alan Greene, MD (Organic Trade Association), Bob Scowcroft (Organic Farming Research Foundation), Sylvia Tawse (Fresh Ideas Group)

1. Reduce The Toxic Load: Keep Chemicals Out of the Air, Water, Soil and our Bodies Buying organic food promotes a less toxic environment for all living things. With only 0.5 percent of crop and pasture land in organic, according to USDA that leaves 99.5 percent of farm acres in the U.S. at risk of exposure to noxious agricultural chemicals. Our bodies are the environment so supporting organic agriculture doesnt just benefit your family, it helps all families live less toxically. 2. Reduce if Not Eliminate Off Farm Pollution Industrial agriculture doesnt singularly pollute farmland and farm workers; it also wreaks havoc on the environment downstream. Pesticide drift affects non-farm communities with odourless and invisible poisons. Synthetic fertilizer drifting downstream is the main culprit for dead zones in delicate ocean environments, such as the Gulf of Mexico, where its dead zone is now larger than 22,000 square kilometers, an area larger than New Jersey, according to Science magazine, August, 2002. 3. Protect Future Generations Before a mother first nurses her newborn, the toxic risk from pesticides has already begun. Studies show that infants are exposed to hundreds of harmful chemicals in utero. In fact, our nation is now reaping the results of four generations of exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals, whose safety was deemed on adult tolerance levels, not on childrens. According to the National Academy of Science, neurologic and behavioural effects may result from low-level exposure to pesticides. Numerous studies show that pesticides can adversely affect the nervous system, increase the risk of cancer, and decrease fertility. 4. Build Healthy Soil Mono-cropping and chemical fertilizer dependency has taken a toll with a loss of top soil estimated at a cost of $40 billion per year in the U.S., according to David Pimental of Cornell University. Add to this an equally disturbing loss of micro nutrients and minerals in fruits and vegetables. Feeding the soil with organic matter instead of ammonia and other synthetic fertilizers has proven to increase nutrients in produce, with higher levels of vitamins and minerals found in organic food, according to the 2005 study, Elevating Antioxidant levels in food through organic farming and food processing, Organic Center State of Science Review (1.05) 5. Taste Better and Truer Flavour Scientists now know what we eaters have known all along: organic food often tastes better. It makes sense that strawberries taste yummier when raised in harmony with nature, but researchers at Washington State University just proved this as fact in lab taste trials where the organic berries were consistently judged as sweeter. Plus, new research verifies that some organic produce is often lower in nitrates and higher in antioxidants than conventional food. Let the organic feasting begin! 6. Assist Family Farmers of all Sizes According to Organic Farming Research Foundation, as of 2006 there are approximately 10,000 certified organic producers in the U.S. compared to 2500 to 3,000 tracked in 1994. Measured

against the two million farms estimated in the U.S. today, organic is still tiny. Family farms that are certified organic farms have a double economic benefit: they are profitable and they farm in harmony with their surrounding environment. Whether the farm is a 4-acre orchard or a 4,000acre wheat farm, organic is a beneficial practice that is genuinely family-friendly. 7. Avoid Hasty and Poor Science in Your Food Cloned food. GMOs and rBGH. Oh my! Interesting how swiftly these food technologies were rushed to market, when organic fought for 13 years to become federal law. Eleven years ago, genetically modified food was not part of our food supply; today an astounding 30 percent of our cropland is planted in GMOs. Organic is the only de facto seal of reassurance against these and other modern, lab-produced additions to our food supply, and the only food term with built in inspections and federal regulatory teeth. 8. Eating with a Sense of Place whether it is local fruit, imported coffee or artisan cheese, organic can demonstrate a reverence for the land and its people. No matter the zip code, organic has proven to use less energy (on average, about 30 percent less), is beneficial to soil, water and local habitat, and is safer for the people who harvest our food. Eat more seasonably by supporting your local farmers market while also supporting a global organic economy year round. It will make your taste buds happy. 9. Promote Biodiversity Visit an organic farm and youll notice something: a buzz of animal, bird and insect activity. These organic oases are thriving, diverse habitats. Native plants, birds and hawks return usually after the first season of organic practices; beneficial insects allow for a greater balance, and indigenous animals find these farms a safe haven. As best said by Aldo Leopold, A good farm must be one where the native flora and fauna have lost acreage without losing their existence. An organic farm is the equivalent of reforestation. Industrial farms are the equivalent of clear cutting of native habitat with a focus on high farm yields. 10. Celebrate the Culture of Agriculture Food is a language spoken in every culture. Making this language organic allows for an important cultural revolution whereby diversity and biodiversity are embraced and chemical toxins and environmental harm are radically reduced, if not eliminated. The simple act of saving one heirloom seed from extinction, for example, is an act of biological and cultural conservation. Organic is not necessarily the most efficient farming system in the short run. It is slower, harder, more complex and more labor-intensive. But for the sake of culture everywhere, from permaculture to human culture, organic should be celebrated at ever.

ROTARY CLUB OF EAST CUBAO (RCCE) One Source Building 1706 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave, Cubao Quezon City : (02) 703-0558 +639294318367 / +639064930909 / +639228531341 : 632 736-1752 : Presrcce_ctd@yahoo.com rccesecretariat@gmail.com PASSION FOR EXCELLENCE