A global movement aimed at arresting the overly alarming environmental problem worldwide is scrawling among thousands of bloggers who all pledged to write about the subject. At least 7,500 bloggers have so far signed up and organizers said the number is continouosly swelling. The big day for this event is on Monday--the Blog Action Day.

Needless to say, this will surely hit the red spot. Incidentally, the whole world is also observing the World Food Day on Tuesday. Locally, environmentalists and safe-food advocates will be gathering together that day.

Below is a press release I wrote for the event. If you wish to post this story in you page, pease...please...I'm not suing, I swear. I would be very happy if you will, in fact.

Safe food forum set on World Food Day

Civil society groups in Mindanao will conduct a one-day forum-workshop Tuesday next week (Oct. 16) here in time for the global celebration of the World Food Day and organizers are highlighting the natural way of farming as the answer to the problems confronting food security and healthy environment.

To be conducted at the compound of the Davao Medical School Foundation, Inc. (DMSF) in Bajada, the activity is themed “Celebrating Organic Agriculture in Mindanao : Seizing Opportunities, Overcoming Challenges.”

Lia Jasmin Esquillo, forum co-convener, said that the activity hopesto raise the awareness of the civil society organizations, church organizations, local government units and agencies, and the academe on the status and threats of organic agriculture in Mindanao.

Esquillo, who is also the executive director of the environmental nongovernment organizations Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (Idis), said that organic agriculture holds great potentials both for the practicing farmers and the public who patronize safe food and health environment.

Right now, Esquillo said, organic farmers have been countering the chemical-dependent and monoculture farms with commercial-scale production of organic rice and other food crops which are accessible to the growing market.

“We also hope to be part in the implementation of government programs in organic agriculture and at the same time, strengthening the partnership of people’s organizations and nongovernment organizations involved in community-based organic agriculture in Mindanao ,” Esquillo said.

Participating in the forum are the biodynamic agriculture primemover Don Bosco Foundation for Sustainable Development (Don Bosco), Justice and Peace of the Diocese of Marbel, Idis, Kababayen-an Alang sa Teknolohiya nga Haum sa Kinaiyahan ug Kauswagan (Empowering Women Through Appropriate Technology in Harmony with the Environment) or Katakus, Kinaiyahan Foundation (KFI), Masipag-Mindanao, Mindanao Farmworkers Development Center (MFDC), Third World Network, Upliftment of the Moral, Economic, Technological, Socio-spiritual Aspirations of Persons or Metsa Foundation, Holy Cross of Davao College (HCDC), Sustainable Integrated Area Development Initiatives in Mindanao-Convergenc e of Asset Reform and Regional Development (Simcarrd).

Dr. Emerlito Boromeo, consultant of the Third World Network, will be coming over from Manila to discuss the threats on organic agriculture, particularly on the current developments on the genetically modified food crops in the country.