Protect farmers’ seed system for food sovereignty and climate resilience
Farida Akhter || Friday 13 October 2023 ||
Farida Akhter presentation in the Panel on “ How Can the World Bank Build Long-term Resilience and Equity in the Global Food System?” 11 October, 2023
Today, I stand before you at this international conference to shed light on a critical issue that affects us all, from the smallest farming households to the entire global community. I will discuss the urgent need and appeal to the World Bank and relevant international institutions, to reevaluate the approach to agriculture, focusing on the pivotal role of Farmer's Seed Systems (FSSs) and ecological agriculture in ensuring not just food security/sovereignty, but the very survival of our planet in the face of climate disasters.
Since our hard-won liberation in 1971, Bangladesh has adhered to the “prescriptions” of the World Bank as outlined by the then World Bank President Robert McNamara’s strategy for assisting small peasant farmers: 'integrated rural development'. Small producers could increase food production with more credit and assistance in adopting modern agricultural techniques; also named Green Revolution. By promoting modern agricultural methods, in hindsight, have inflicted serious harm upon our environment and public health. We were coerced into embracing laboratory-engineered seeds for rice, accompanied by a package of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, and groundwater irrigation. These measures, once touted as progress, are now unequivocally revealed as destructive forces. Green revolution increased rice production, but reduced pulses, oil seeds, and other crops. Over 70% of the farmers are small holders owning below 2.49 acres of land who are not able to afford the high input costs of fertilizer, pesticides etc. The number of these farmers are reducing because farming is no more affordable to them; so shifted to non-farm occupations.
To compound our woes, restrictive seed laws were thrust upon us, and corporate seeds gained the sponsorship of international agencies and our own governments. These seed laws supports breeders seeds rather than farmer saved seeds. It allows uncontrolled marketing of the corporate hyv and hybrid seeds, which do not even take any responsibility of the failure of the seeds to generate. For them these are just like any other commodity not a live entity. Yet, the fact remains that over 70% of the seeds in our markets are the result of farmers' dedication to saving and preserving their own seeds. The burdensome bureaucratic requirements for seed certification have proven to be a heavy yoke around the necks of our small-scale farmers. There is no support for farmers playing such an important role in maintaining the genetic di versity of crops.
Let us not forget the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Peasants and Other Rural People (UNDROP), a beacon of justice and equity. It unequivocally states that peasants possess the right to seeds, the right to safeguard their traditional knowledge concerning plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, and most crucially, the right to save, exchange, and sell their farm-saved seeds and propagating materials.
As a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Bangladesh has also pledged unwavering commitment to the conservation and rejuvenation of biodiversity, along with the preservation of traditional indigenous knowledge.
Yet, in the face of climate change, the World Bank pushes for policies rooted in technological fixes, which are termed as “False solutions” by environmentalists, ignoring the wealth of agroecological and local solutions at our disposal. This shortsighted approach exacerbates the crisis rather than resolving it. Dubbed ' climate-smart' agriculture, it threatens the very bedrock of farming, turning it into industrial factories of food production.
We know that the modern agricultural methods did not prove to be productive and environmentally sustainable. In the World Bank study on the Environmental and Natural Resource Degradation in Intensive Agriculture in Bangladesh by Stefano Pagiola (1995) showed
- Declining productivity: Yields have been declining and higher fertilizer applications are necessary to maintain yields
- High yielding modern varieties are far more demanding of soil nutrients than local varieties had been.
- Environmental impacts: Rapid increase in use of pesticides harms health of farm workers and contaminate ground and surface water and inland fisheries
- Pesticide use became higher in late 1980s, 70% of pesticides are used on rice and usage is heaviest in Boro.
It is to be noted that about 75% of the total cropped area and over 80% of the total irrigated area is planted to rice. Modern rice varieties are not adopted by all farmers. In about 50 years time, only 66% of land has modern variety rice contributing about 73% of rice production. This is done at the cost of use of huge amount of investment in irrigation, extensive use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers with subsidies, ground water depletion, and also taking away the winter crop land from vegetables, oil seeds, lentils etc.
So changing from modern to smart will not work. Furthermore, innovations are monopolized, and the dissemination of scientific knowledge is restrained by the shackles of intellectual property rights (IPR). Climate disasters demand principles of care and restraint in our relationship with nature, not the hollow 'smartness' of corporate technology that degrades farming from an agroecological practice into a mere cog in the wheel of industrial food production.
For decades, modern industrial agriculture has dominated the landscape. It has been driven by a profit-centric ideology that treats seeds as lifeless inputs for industrial production. This reductionist perspective obscures the true nature of seeds as living beings with the innate ability to regenerate themselves naturally. This ideology has forced farming communities into a cycle of dependence, where they are compelled to purchase seeds from commercial markets, stripping them of their age-old practice of saving and exchanging seeds.
The corporate mantra of 'smart agriculture' aims to obliterate the essence of agriculture itself, replacing it with a soulless assembly line of food production.
While the World Bank trumpets gender equality as vital for development, it fails to recognize the gender insensitivity rampant in industrial and so-called 'smart agriculture.' The policies it ardently supports and implements pilfer control of seeds from the capable hands of farmer women, deeming seeds the intellectual property of faceless corporations. The World Bank recognizes the role of gender equality as other key development organizations like Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) engaged in a process of mainstreaming gender into agricultural development. Gender-mainstreaming and gender integration in most cases making women the “recipients” of top-down policies and technologies and train them to use such tools and the modules; thus become the “means” to an end.
But in this process, rural farming women are stripped of seeds and genetic resources, and their role in seed preservation and biodiversity safeguarding is conveniently ignored, both technologically and legally. This perpetuates gender inequality and climate injustice. Ecological agriculture, on the other hand, empowers farmer women by granting them control over their resources, particularly their seeds. These seeds are the result of generations of careful selection, adapting to specific local environments, and embodying the wisdom of traditional farming practices.
Since 1992, UBINIG has rallied small-scale farmers for biodiversity-based farming, championing the Nayakrishi Andolon movement, predominantly led by women. This movement underscores the importance of seed preservation, exchange, and sharing. Remarkable women like Selina Begum are safeguarding hundreds of rice seed varieties, as well as vegetables, oilseeds, pulses, medicinal plants, fruit trees, and everything essential for survival and well-being. Thousands of women, like Selina Begum in Nayakrishi, courageously address the dual challenges of food security and nutrition, education of their children, preserve biodiversity; all while confronting the vulnerabilities imposed by climate change. They possess an intimate understanding of their local conditions and hold the key to solutions that are ecologically, environmentally, and culturally apt. They have the knowledge about stress resistant crop varieties, and livestock they keep. Several thousands of indigenous varieties of rice including flood-tolerant, drought-resistant, salinity tolerant varieties are common collection in different agro-ecological zones of the country.
Nayakrishi or ecological agriculture in general, guided by Farmer Seed Systems, champions diversity by encouraging the cultivation of numerous crop varieties adapted to local conditions. This diversity acts as a safeguard against crop failures, pests, and diseases, ensuring a more resilient food system.
The Nayakrishi or the agroecological methods do not only preserve the diversity of the cultivated crops but also preserve the “uncultivated” greens, if the environment is kept from using pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals.
Industrial agriculture's heavy use of synthetic chemicals poses a grave threat to human health and the environment. Pesticides and herbicides contaminate our soil, water, and air, leading to a range of health issues. Ecological agriculture prioritizes natural and organic farming methods, safeguarding our well-being and reducing exposure to harmful chemicals. These are well documented in scientific research around the world.
Moreover, the practices of industrial agriculture contribute significantly to habitat destruction and the endangerment of numerous species and heirloom varieties. It bulldozes forests, wetlands, and grasslands, robbing countless creatures of their homes. In contrast, ecological agriculture operates in harmony with nature, nurturing a diverse array of flora and fauna. It acts as a refuge for endangered species, preserving biodiversity for future generations.
But the most pressing issue of our time is climate change. Modern industrial agriculture, with its colossal carbon footprint, is a major contributor to this crisis. It depletes soil health, emits greenhouse gases, and contributes to deforestation—all factors exacerbating climate change. In contrast, ecological agriculture is a climate-resilient system. It enhances soil fertility, sequesters carbon, and embraces sustainable land management practices. It is our best hope for mitigating and adapting to the climate disasters that loom on the horizon.
The attempt to create a so-called 'formal seed sector' that supplies 100% of the seed for planting is both unrealistic and dangerous. Farmers have historically been the innovators of crop varieties that can withstand floods, droughts, and other natural calamities. Neglecting the vital role of FSSs in agriculture, science, and technology policies is inconsistent with the goals of sustainability.
The corporate drive to control seeds and replace FSSs with a commercial and corporate seed market poses a direct threat to food sovereignty, particularly in countries like Bangladesh. We must recognize that seeds are not mere industrial inputs; they are living beings intertwined with the ecological fabric of our planet.
In this industrial-ideological context, we must fight for the irreplaceable role of FSSs in ensuring seed and food sovereignty. These systems are resilient and capable of adapting to local conditions, a stark contrast to the rigid, standardized parameters of the corporate seed industry. The conflict is not merely scientific but a struggle for the survival of farming communities and the preservation of the biological foundation of life.
In conclusion, we must prioritize the preservation of local and indigenous knowledge systems and promote the wider application of traditional practices. By framing the issue of seed ownership and control in terms of human rights and justice, we can shift the conversation and prioritize the needs of small-scale farmers, marginalized communities, and the very planet we call home.
Together, we can champion ecological agriculture and Farmer Seed Systems as the solution to our most pressing challenges.