At Koitora, organisers linked pesticide pollution to health, wildlife and biodiversity risks as farmers committed to local seed conservation, organic fertilisers and bio-pesticides.
Farmers in Manikganj pledged to boycott chemical pesticides and adopt organic farming at a human chain held on September 9 to protest the production, supply, marketing and use of banned chemical pesticides.
The demonstration was held at Koitora under Putail Union in Manikganj, with participants rallying behind the slogan: “No more chemical agriculture, now it’s time for organic farming.”
The event was jointly organised by the Koitora Farmer Organization and Sabuj Songhoti.
Speakers at the human chain said toxic chemical pesticides pose a deadly health hazard to humans. They warned that uncontrolled chemical use is destroying wildlife, threatening regional biodiversity and polluting the atmosphere.
The event was addressed by Hasiya Begum, President of Koitora Farmer Organization; Shila Sarkar, General Secretary; Farida Akhter, Organizing Secretary; and Kamal Chandra Dutta, an official from the research organization BARCIK.
Participating farmers pledged to completely boycott chemical pesticides. They also committed to conserving local seed varieties at home, producing organic fertilizers and adopting eco-friendly bio-pesticides for sustainable crop protection.
