The present system has failed, organic agriculture is the solution
Member International Federation for Organic Agriculture Movement (IOFAM) General Secretary Bangladesh Organic Agriculture Network (BOAN)
Professional career started at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari). Since then, there has been a leading role in the organic agricultural movement of the country. Organic Agriculture researchers are working here in various organizations. He has already been elected as the chief investigator and member of the International Federation for Organic Agriculture Movement (IOFM), Asian Network for Organic Farming Technology (UNSUP) as a recognition of contribution to organic agriculture research. He is also the General Secretary of Bangladesh Organic Agriculture Network (BOAN) in addition to the elected members of the Executive Council of Technology Innovation Platform of IOFAM. Currently, there are efforts to implement Bari's standard organic farming program. At the same time there are working on social certification system (PGS). In the country, he has recently talked about the possibility of production and marketing of organic products and obstacles with the merchant message. Saeed Shaheen interviewed.
Why are so much interest in organic food?
The food produced in the petroleum-based farming started in the last century has become a major cause of our many diseases and killing today. In order to meet the nutritional status of our body, it is very important to take balanced diet with adequate quantity of grains, vegetables and fruits daily. But we have been practicing poison without knowing or knowing every day in food intake. These foods, including cadmium, arsenic, vegetables and fruits, are being mixed at various levels, from various production to the market, to various toxic insecticides and chemicals. To produce other varieties of high yielding hybrids and GM vegetables, other crops and fruits are being applied to the toxic insecticides, spinach, fungicide, and weedicide etc. Soon after the introduction of excessive chemicals in vegetables, there is a continuous event in the context of Bangladesh to be sold in the market. With food it is entering our body. Again, these vegetables and fruits are used for the long time to preserve and make a variety of toxic substances including carbide. Toxic folic acid is used to preserve fish. Various toxic pigments are mixed in vegetables and fruits to attract buyers. As a result of this, on the one hand, many diseases are presenting in our body, on the other hand, the life force and the lifespan are decreasing.
What does organic food or product products really mean?
In general, organic food or organic food or products refers to the food produced by organic fertilizers and pesticides, rather than organic fertilizers and pesticides. Organic agriculture is a production system that provides a beautiful link between the scientific knowledge of ecology and modern biological process of modern science and traditional knowledge. Organic is in agriculture. However, conventional farming system is based on the effect of synthetic pesticides and water soluble chemical fertilizers. As a result, biological agriculture will not be able to judge the use of conventional artificial pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Establishment of modern organic agriculture is based on four principles on health, environment, transparency and supervision or care. Each policy is dependent on one another and it is possible to develop and enrich organic agriculture by following it. Organic food that is more safe and nutritious is proven in numerous studies.
How is it expanding in the country?
Prior to the sixties, before the present chemical system, the whole agricultural system was organic agriculture. The system is currently running in two different ways. The first is that people are producing their own food, especially fruits and vegetables in the house courtyards in their own management. Another is, commercial cultivation to trade in organized form. For example, Keketi is selling commercially and other products in his own garden in Panchagarh at Batmanon, outside the country and abroad (USA, Japan, European Union). Modern biochemistry requires a third party certificate, which is being followed by anybody. Currently, organic shrimp is being produced in the country and exported to USA, Japan, EU, New Zealand, Malaysia and India. Besides, in some parts of the country, farmers are engaged in production and marketing at their own initiative. Without such a third party certification, such activity in Jhenaidah, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Dinajpur, Tangail, Pabna, Manikganj, Narsingdi, Sylhet and Gazipur districts. Besides, all the products produced in our home courtyard are organic products. Many organizations of Bangladesh have been working on this since independence. Among them Proshika and Ugni were one of Currently, development work, Hunger Free World, ActionAid, Rajshahi Agricultural Library, Barisal, ARLD, Caritas are working on organic or sustainable agriculture.
Has the government agency come forward to produce organic food?
The use of poison has increased in food production. This has resulted in adverse effects on public health. In order to go organic farming has to go towards. We have killed poisonous microorganisms for 40 years by poisoning them. It needs to be restored. As Bangladesh's climate is temperate, there is tremendous potential for natural agricultural cultivation. Here the temperature is never below the minus. As a result, there is organic production in nature throughout the year. The plants are also nutritious, the nature is fresh and green. Natural farming can be done in Bangladesh using the weather and using natural resources, which can be model around the world. It has become necessary to innovate biotechnology in safe food production around the world. Considering the environment and health risks, IFAM will help Bangladeshi scientists in the development of biotech technology. Department of Agricultural Extension has not yet been working on the program. However, the integrated plant nutrient system aims to increase the fertility of the soil and conserve the environment, and increase the use of organic fertilizers and work in the IPM system. The main task of Bari is to work on research and development according to the needs of the people. Bari's Department of Vegetable Research has been doing its research since 2006. Bari has already introduced a standard and participatory assurance system. Besides, a network of researchers, expansion workers, organizations working on organic agriculture has been set up, which is known as Bangladesh Organic Agriculture Network. Bari has developed a number of technologies for the production of safe food by organic means, which is being expanded at the peasant level. The life of organic agriculture is local knowledge. Bari is collecting these local knowledge and working with regular workers and training to coordinate with other beneficiaries. Bari has taken an ideal organic village program for the transfer of technology among the farmers. So far, work has been done in three villages of Netrokona, Mymensingh and Dhamrai. There the local agricultural extension directorate has been involved.
What is the future of organic food in the country?
Organic food has huge demand in the country and production is also being done. But there are some misconceptions about organic food. Some people are less productive, less expensive, and do not know. Who does not want safe food or who does not need? People of all sections of the country know that organic food is safe. The matter is scientifically established. In the country, pesticides and chemical fertilizers application are given importance. As well as biological production is ignored or discouraged. There has been no research done in the last 60 years. The present system is established on the basis of 'Give more materials, produce more'. It has caused extensive damage to soil and environment and to human health. Supporters of the current system are also saying this. But what is the alternative? The alternative is not coming like that. Some people say the point of organic agriculture, but silently My statement is clear. The present system has failed, organic agriculture is the solution. However, the introduction of organic agriculture throughout the country is not an acceptable solution. This requires preparation. As a result, you have to take strategic initiatives.
Organic farming can be fulfilled by food?
Organic Agriculture is a dynamic and dynamic method. It is not stagnant and survives on the basis of new and innovative in the face of internal and external needs. As a result, the current technology may be dropped or sophisticated and if necessary, new technologies will be taken. Now the time has come to determine the means of feeding food and agriculture in this method. It must be conducted in a biological way in the sense of truth. To ensure food security for the current and future generations as well as to solve the crisis faced by agriculture and farmers of this country, to build a sustainable agricultural system. There is a great deal of suspicion among many of the country's policy makers, whether it is possible for biological agriculture to provide food for the growing population of a populated country like Bangladesh. In this regard, experts from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are invited to attend an international conference. It has been said that organic agriculture is able to ensure the food security of every person around the world. Scientists have recently given a theoretical model. It has been shown that it is possible to provide 2 thousand 640 to 4,380 kiloculars of food for every person in the world through organic farming without increasing the quantity and yield of the total cultivable land based on the efficiency of this model.
What is the scientific basis of organic agriculture sustainability?
Organic agriculture considers its development as single and uninterrupted as well as maintaining healthy soil, plant, animal and human health. This principle of organic farming is the key element of organic farming. From the small microbes to humans, the parts of the living system depend on each other. Although they are separate entities, they together create more than one single dimension. Organic agriculture has the importance of integrated living system. Health is physical, emotional and social well-being. Not just to be free from disease or disease. This is an ongoing process, which collects and distributes food and necessary energy to keep the living system going. The key features of the process of self-control and quick recovery The petroleum-controlled current farming promotes food production only and does not focus on keeping other components of nature functioning. In the past 100 years the condition of the other elements of the environment has already been mentioned. If the importance of organic agriculture is given due importance then the present system will improve.
For example, let's talk about soil health. For the protection of soil health, the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil are to be considered equally. In the last 100 years, the so-called modern agricultural system has only increased the level of chemical fertilizer in the country by reducing the use of organic fertilizers in terms of chemical quality. Soil micro-organisms have broken down due to excessive use of chemical fertilizers. Nearly three tons of microorganisms live in an agricultural area and their livelier ends there and they are recuperated again. In this way, when their activities are carried out in normal process, there is no shortage of nutrient content in the soil. So far 16-17 components have been identified for plant nutrients, with only three being synthetically applied with maximum importance. Only nitrogen is given the maximum importance in three components. However, in every 100 kg of chemical nitrogen applied on the soil, trees can use only 27-30 kg. The remaining chemicals are washed with water or destroyed in the form of gas. On the other hand, in addition to the loss of crops due to its excessive application, non-organic activities are also damaged.
Whereas the nitrogen is applied from the organic source, the tree accepts its required amount from there and the extra portion is in the form of humus in the soil, which provides food to the next crop. Again improve the earth's physical, chemical and biological activities. There are several crops to increase nitrogen in the soil, which can be linked to the production list. Our peasants do not know, some organic nitrogen levels are high and how can they increase the efficiency by applying them to the soil. What is the fault of the peasants, in the last seven-eight decades, the modern varieties that have been invented in order to meet the production of food production, are mostly high in external input varieties. To get more yield, to save more amounts of chemical fertilizers, and to protect them from insects, there must be insecticides. As a result, the yield has increased, but the health of the soil, the people and the environment is going to be destroyed. Now it is important to emphasize the change in the trend of research thought. Less External Input takes place, but the varieties do not vary in yield, the varieties must be invented. There are genes in nature, it is important to identify them. The research is going on in the developed world. We also have to move forward in that way. In addition, it is necessary to identify the organic source of the nutrients required for the crop and to spread the crop at the farmers level.
Organic is being opposed to pesticides?
If pesticides are good, then why should we say against it? Pesticides are harmful, it is recognized worldwide. Besides, we are risking the single crop except multi-dimensional crops. As a result, several crops are being produced very rapidly. The importance of other crops being lost disappeared. The conventional agriculture has ruined its fertility by applying additional fertilizers and pesticides on the soil. In 10 thousand years of agriculture 9 thousand 900 years soil organic substances dropped from 5 to 3 percent. In the last 100 years, it has been reduced by half to 1 percent, the present current agricultural system. What is the way? Certainly organic agriculture Because organic agriculture talks about multi-dimensional crops, soil life and organic matter give way to growth. As well as keeping the food safer, the environment keeps the environment well and carries carbon. As a result, not only for the opposition of pesticides, but also to maintain human civilization in the normal course, organic food is necessary.