Keep seeds in farmers hand for agro ecology
Learning and sharing session on seed management led by farming communities was held on 10 February, 2025 at the conference hall of Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), Dashmina Upazila, Patuakhali. The event was organized by ‘Bangladesh Krishok Federation (BKF)’, member organization of ‘Bangladesh Agro ecology Platform (BKP)’. There were 47 participants including farmers, CSOs, local government representatives participated in the training workshop. The meeting was facilitated by Dr. M. A. Sobhan and Jahangir Alam Jony, UBINIG, the member organization of BAP. Badrul Alam, President, BKF inaugurated the workshop.
Md. Zafor Ahmed, Upazila Agriculture Officer, Dashmina delivered his speech as a Chief Guest in the inauguration session. He said, there are some government allocation could be provided form the DAE for farmers. The support can be provided among the farmers those who are interested for practicing agro ecology reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and stop to use pesticides through integrated pest management and integrated crop management. He expressed his interest for visiting the farmers and cooperate them for practicing agro ecology.
It was discussed that seed is the key area for agro ecology practicing. The farmers feel very storing when they have seed in their own hands. In Nayakrishi, the seed and genetic resources conservation is organized through a very innovative form of Nayakrishi Seed Network (NSN).The responsibility of NSN within the agro ecological food production practices is to ensure collection, conservation, distribution and enhancement of seeds among the members, who are primarily women. Therefore it is important for ensuring both in situ conservation and of biodiversity and genetic resources in the farming field and ex situ conservation at the household and village level.
As the seed preservation is crucial and is needed more strongly because of aggressive promotion of hybrid and even genetically modified seeds. We have to resist such aggressive initiatives.
Loss of seed from the farmers and farming households means the loss of farmers’ rights and control over seed. Dependence of farmers on the market for seeds means the displacement of women from the control of a crucial technology that is the heart of agriculture.
Shamsunnahar Khan Dali, farmer and local government representative said, farmers maintain seed diversity in their agricultural field and at the same time conserve seed within their household to be replanted in the coming season. We have to develop our seed system made into collective decisions through meetings and collective sharing of seeds with associated information of seed management.
Besides seed management it was discussed in the training workshop on soil improvement, mixed cropping, inter cropping, crop rotation, pest management, environment, climate change, food, nutrition and good health.
The agro ecology practices have the immediate benefit of higher productivity in terms of the total yield of farming household, ecologically sound and environment friendly.
The participants expressed their interest for starting practicing agro ecology for the part of their lands and gradually covering the total land under agro ecology practices.