Safe food has now become a major public health and environmental debate around the world. As the expansion of industrialized agriculture has increased food production, new concerns about food safety have arisen due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In this reality, organic agriculture is gaining new importance. While some consider it to be a wealthy class of agriculture, many see it as a modern and scientific rediscovery of the ancient agricultural system of human civilization. This agricultural system, which is conducted in harmony with nature and the environment, does not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides or uses them very sparingly. As a result, food produced organically is considered relatively safe, nutritious, and has a natural taste. In Bangladesh too, as the demand for safe food is gradually increasing, people's interest in organic agriculture is increasing, especially among health-conscious consumers in urban areas. This trend is more evident.
The concept of organic farming is not new. In the long history of agriculture, humans have relied on nature-based farming methods for centuries. Before the advent of modern scientific agriculture, most of the world's agriculture was organic. In the early 20th century, agricultural scientists began to think in new ways about the environmental impact of agricultural production. British agronomist Sir Albert Howard is considered the father of modern organic farming.
During his research in the Pusa region of British India between 1905 and 1924, he observed and scientifically analyzed the traditional farming methods of Indian farmers. Later, with the publication of his famous book An Agricultural Testament, the concept of organic farming began to gain international importance. Since then, organic farming has become not just an agricultural technology, but an integrated agricultural philosophy in which the interrelationships of soil, water, plants, animals and people are considered as part of an integrated agricultural system.
The history of agriculture in Bangladesh was also based on this nature-based agricultural system. Until 1970, cow dung, crop residues, green manure and compost were the main nutrients in agriculture. Rural agriculture was a natural cycle-based system where livestock, fish, plants and agricultural land were closely linked to each other. Farmers used to make organic fertilizer from cow dung, use crop straw as animal feed and maintain soil fertility. But after the Green Revolution, with the spread of high-yielding varieties of rice and other crops, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture increased rapidly. Although yields increased, problems such as the decline in soil organic matter, loss of biodiversity and disruption of the balance of the agricultural environment became clear in the long term. According to agricultural researchers, the amount of soil organic matter in many agricultural lands in the country has now dropped below one percent, whereas a healthy agricultural system requires at least two and a half to three percent organic matter in the soil.
Similarly, the use of chemical pesticides has also increased significantly in the last few decades. While in the 1970s, about 4,000 metric tons of pesticides were used annually in the country, it has now increased to more than 40,000 metric tons. Of this, about 15,000 metric tons contain active toxic ingredients. About 80 percent of the total pesticides used are used in rice fields. Of the pesticides used, fungicides account for about 45 percent, insecticides for about 39 percent, and herbicides for about 15 percent. Thousands of types of pesticides are registered in the country, and some pesticides considered internationally risky are still in use.
In many cases, farmers apply pesticides ten to thirty times in a season during vegetable production, which increases the risk of toxic substances entering the food chain. There have been long-standing allegations of the use of various harmful chemicals, including formalin, to keep fruits, vegetables and fish fresh for a long time at the marketing stage. Studies have shown that formalin is present in about half of the fish samples collected from Dhaka markets, and in some cases, it has been detected in about 70 percent of Rui fish samples. The same worrying picture is seen in seasonal fruits. In a study, about 93.75 percent of mango samples sold in the capital's markets were found to contain 7 to 28 ppm of formalin.
These chemicals damage the quality of food and increase various health risks, including cancer, in the long run. As a result, the importance of environmentally friendly organic agriculture is gradually increasing to ensure safe food.
In this reality, the question of safe food has now become the focus of global public health discussions. According to the World Health Organization, about 600 million people worldwide are infected with foodborne diseases every year and more than 400,000 people die. This problem is more acute in developing countries due to food contamination and unsafe food management.
Various studies have mentioned that a large number of people in Bangladesh are also infected with foodborne diseases every year. The presence of excess pesticides, heavy metals and microbes in the food chain is increasing this risk. As a result, it is the demand of the hour to bring about changes in the agricultural system to ensure safe food, and one of the ways to achieve this change can be the expansion of organic agriculture.
Organic agriculture is currently expanding rapidly worldwide. According to international research organizations, organic agriculture is practiced in about 190 countries around the world and about 99 million hectares of land are cultivated organically. At the same time, the global market value of organic food has already exceeded $140 billion and this market is expanding at an average rate of eight to ten percent per year.
The United States, Germany, France, Italy and Japan are among the largest organic food markets in the world. Consumers in these countries are increasingly turning towards healthier and environmentally friendly food. The market for organic agricultural products is also gradually expanding in Bangladesh. Currently, about 20,000 hectares of land in the country are cultivated organically and the market value of organic agricultural products is estimated to be around $140 million. Organic tea, spices, fruits, vegetables and herbal products from Bangladesh are already being exported to countries like Germany, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.
However, organic farming also faces some challenges. In many cases, production in organic farming can be five to thirty percent lower than in conventional farming. The main reason for this is the absence of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and the time required to restore the organic balance of the soil. But in the long run, organic farming plays an important role in increasing soil fertility, conserving water, and maintaining ecological balance. Research has shown that long-term organic farming increases soil organic matter, increases soil water retention capacity, and ensures the sustainability of agricultural production. For this reason, organic farming is seen not only as an alternative farming method, but also as an important foundation for sustainable agriculture.
The development of organic agriculture is therefore very important to ensure safe food in Bangladesh.
For this, emphasis should be placed on integrated agricultural management where a sustainable source of organic fertilizer can be created by linking poultry, dairy and fisheries with agriculture. At the same time, it is necessary to develop an international standard certification system to ensure the quality of organic agricultural products. It is possible to transform organic agriculture into a strong sector through government policy support, research activities, farmer training and market development. If farmers, researchers, entrepreneurs and consumers all come forward in a coordinated manner, the development of organic agriculture can ensure safe food as well as create new possibilities for environmental protection, rural employment and sustainable agricultural development.
Author: Agriculturist, Columnist and Chairman, DRP Foundation
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