Promote biodiversity-friendly agri practices
Suggest green activists
Green activists have suggested promotion of agricultural practices that protect biodiversity, which is crucial to face climate change.
Over the decades most local crop varieties disappeared, and the new varieties mainly promoted by the multinational corporations are playing role to destruct the biodiversity for excessive requirements of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and water, they said.
The observations came at a discussion titled “Reclaiming our rice and biodiversity” jointly organised by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), Shikkha Shastha Unnayan Karzakram (Shishuk) and Pesticide Action Network Asia & the Pacific at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital yesterday.
“With the increased population, food production has to be increased. But, that does not mean that we will destroy our biodiversity,” said Prof Anu Muhammad of Jahangirnagar University.
Underground water table in most part of the country depleted alarmingly because of excessive use of water, while fish varieties are being destroyed due to chemical fertilisers and pesticides, he said.
“Water is our main asset. If we lose it our biodiversity will be at stake,” the economist said, adding that rice production in the country multiplied in four decades, but food vulnerability of peoples also increased.
It is because previously the poor could collect fish and vegetables from the public properties, but today they have to buy everything, he said. “They, however, do not have enough money to buy nutritious food.”
Dr Khairul Bashar, former director of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), said some companies import hybrid rice varieties from abroad, but those are not properly tested before starting cultivation. Therefore, in many cases their yield was poor despite use of huge fertilisers and pesticides, he noted.
“What is important is providing our scientists incentives to develop better varieties suitable in our biodiversity,” he said.
SM Morshed, executive director of Shishuk, urged the government to take measures so that the farmers do not become dependent on the multinational companies that promote seeds and pesticides for their profits.
Bapa leader Moazzem Hossain, rice scientists Sheikh Abdus Sattar and Rezaul Karim also spoke.
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