Daily Times: Climate change is big threat to Pakistan therefore farmers should practice traditional knowledge and improve food security through sustainable agriculture.
Shoaib Aziz, project manager Damaan Development Organisation (DDO) highlighted impact of climate change on sustainable agriculture and called for revival and promotion of sustainable agriculture. A one day seminar on ‘Discourse on sustainable agriculture: civil society and farmers was organised with the collaboration of Sustainable Agriculture Action Group (SAAG), ActionAid and Sungi Development Foundation.
The objective of the seminar was to explore different models of sustainable agriculture, challenges and opportunities, loss of traditional knowledge, impact on farmers and food security.
He said increasing population and decreasing resources might pose threat for our future generation. He said there was need for setting up of market infrastructure for the promotion of organic produce.
Expert on framing, Khadim Hussain highlighted the role of civil society for the promotion of agriculture. He said corporate agriculture farming was posing big threat since multinational companies are grabbing land and promoting mono-cropping culture. He said NGOS were striving hard for awareness creation and promotion of sustainable agriculture Gulfam Dogar said the farmers from mountains in Pakhtoonkhwa were growing medicinal plant and earning good amount for their produce.
He stressed for establishment of plant health clinic and requested farmers to link their agriculture with loner calendar as they may coup with rapidly changing climate in Pakistan. Alien plant species are destroying our ecology and new pests are creeping up to destroy our local plant species. He stressed for the promotion of local varieties and preservation of agriculture.
Ms Mehnaz Ajmal Paracha from Oxfam Novib said present agriculture system was creating in equality and food insecurity. She said forty percent of people were food insecure in Pakistan and small farmers have no say in decision-making. She pointed out farmers were not getting their rights under labour laws.
She lamented large farmers have representation in legislation process and getting all benefits from the government but agriculture was no longer profitable for small farmers and farmers was abandoning agriculture and migrating to cities. She called for organising of farmers association so that they could fight for their rights.
Nasir Aziz policy officer from ActionAid cited success stories of many countries regarding sustainable agriculture. He said the promotion of sustainable agriculture not only saving environment but also boost farmers income. Farmers from India are earning billion of rupees through promotion of organic produces. He highlighted some sustainable agriculture model in Pakistan but he lamented lack of enabling environment was discouraging practices of sustainable agriculture by small farmers.
Tariq Mehmood, president Kissan Ittehad said agriculture share in GDP was decreasing as agriculture for small farmer was no longer profitable. The input cost has increased manifold but prices are not catching up with that pace as result farmers were trapped in the clutches of vicious circle and thus poverty increased.
Farmers wanted to practice sustainable agriculture but multinational companies with the collaboration of government crating antagonist environment and promoting GMOs, which are detrimental for environment, agriculture and food security.
