The Group's belief that organic farming will play a key roll in the future of agribusiness has led to the creation of the Marsman-Drysdale Organic Farms, Inc. (MDOFI). A joint venture with Hiro International Co., Ltd. of Japan as the marketing partner, MDOFI is located at Nuevo Visayas, Mawab, Comval province and is the first truly organic banana farm in the Philippines.

Recent reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization portray a very promising "sunrise" market for organic bananas, with a growth rate of approximately 30% per annum. The higher market value of organic bananas versus regular bananas make this a very profitable market niche. Globally, the largest demand for organic bananas come from the European Community and the United States, with Japan and Canada's import volume not far behind. Currently, Philippine bananas dominate the Japananese market and are starting to compete globally with the banana exports from the Dominican Republic and other Latin American countries, the market leaders in Europe and North American.

For the past thirty years, MDAHI has been producing bananas the conventional way, allowing the routine application of chemical pesticides and fertilizers for the protection and nutrition of quality Cavendish bananas. Recent breakthroughs from the Group's in-house research and development team, including major biotechnology products for sigatoka control (BIOSEB), for soil nutrition (BIOFERTILIZER), a bio-insecticide for the control of thrips (PALTAN) and a fungus-based biological nematicide (BIOPAC), have further enhanced MDAHI's capability to grow export quality Cavendish bananas organically. For further control of pests and diseases, the farm practices an annual cropping program. The plantation is cleared and turned after every harvest, then is planted with new seedlings so that disease-infected plants do not thrive.

Organic banana farming is anchored on the principles of sustainable agriculture, which aims to maintain, if not improve, soil productivity through environment-friendly practices. In recognition of these efforts, MDOFI is already a recipient of the Philippine Marketing Association's 1999 Datu Award for Green Marketing.