Informing Organic Agriculture Policy in the Philippines through Local Farmers’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP)
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Abstract
The study generally aims to design a policy framework that aims to leverage support of organic agriculture among local government units and communities in the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, Philippines for ecologically sound and sustainable community development. The study is a descriptive-policy research that employed survey design to ascertain the knowledge, attitude, and practices of 300 farmers in five municipalities in Region XII, Philippines comprising Kidapawan City in Cotabato Province, Lake Sebu in South Cotabato, Palimbang in Sultan Kudarat, Maitum in Sarangani, General Santos City. Purposive sampling was used in the identification of respondents while balanced selection was utilized in the determination of equal number of respondents in every municipality. The data were collected using adapted survey questionnaires and analyzed using mean. It was ascertained that the three variables, namely the knowledge, attitude, and practices toward organic farming were all rarely manifested among farmers in Region XII. This suggests that the level of their practices was characterized by their level of knowledge and attitude toward organic farming. Nevertheless, it can be gleaned in the data that their knowledge about organic farming is higher than their attitude and practices of it, respectively. The findings of the study bridge the empirical and population gaps about the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) toward organic farming of local farmers in the southernmost part of the Philippines which Filipino scholars and agricultural practitioners may use as a theoretical basis in constructing and measuring KAP toward organic farming. The study also designed a policy framework that local government units may use as a keystone in implementing programs and projects that will promote engagement to organic agriculture for a more environmentally friendly, safe, and sustainable Philippine agriculture.
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