Research by the World Health Organization and other international agencies shows that at least 1.8 billion farmers worldwide use synthetic pesticides. At least 3 million people a year are poisoned by pesticides, and 355,000 die. In addition, 186,000 people a year take their own lives by drinking pesticide.

To protect farming and public health, many efforts have begun. One is Russell IPM in the United Kingdom, a notable company supplying Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods for safe crop production worldwide.

The company researches 150 kinds of insect pests and has made 200 types of pheromone to control them. A young Bangladeshi scientist leads this large programme of biological pest control research.

Showing a small plastic rubber lure, scientist Dr Naim Hasan said it holds a scent that people cannot detect but insects can.

This biological pest control has reached 145 countries, and the technology has been extended in 30. The owner hopes biological pest control will one day become the world's most accepted alternative to pesticides.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.