A 'Safe food and agroecology fair' was held on the afternoon of Friday, 16 October, World Food Day, at the Talukdharmapur Agroecology Learning Centre in Paba upazila, Rajshahi. It was organised by the Talukdharmapur women's development organisation, the research group BARCIK and Green Coalition under the slogan 'Indigenous seed, nature-friendly farming, a nourished future'.
The fair had displays on safe food, indigenous seed, crop diversity and organic pest management, and discussions on saving local seed, sharing farmers' experience and raising awareness among farmers, young people and consumers.
Shilpi Khatun, who runs the learning centre, said its members keep local crop diversity alive by collecting, storing and exchanging indigenous seed. "Indigenous seed is our wealth and our right," she said, adding that legal recognition for women farmers and an agroecology-based farm policy are also needed.
Rakiba Khatun, a woman farmer who practises agroecology, said they grow many kinds of vegetables with organic pest management, which lowers costs, protects the soil and feeds their families well. BARCIK's regional coordinator, Shahidul Islam, said a sustainable food system needs institutional recognition of farmers' knowledge and farming based on local resources.
Md Atiqur Rahman, president of the Barendra Youth Forum, spoke of young people leading the spread of agroecology. Participants called on the state to take policy decisions to protect local seed and ensure safe food, and to put them into practice.
With this year's World Food Day theme, 'Today's innovation, tomorrow's nutrition', in mind, the organisers urged that safe food, crop diversity and nature-friendly farming be built up as the basis of future food security.
Reporting: Agricare24 desk
Source: Agricare24
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