Safe Agriculture calls for minimum wage, pension for farm workers
The organisation urged political parties and candidates contesting the upcoming national parliamentary election to give due importance to the proposals by incorporating them into their election manifestos and declarations.
An organisation named the "Safe Agriculture and Food Movement" has raised 20 demands, calling for farmer identity cards, crop insurance, and a minimum wage and pension system for agricultural workers.
The demands were presented today (18 January) at a press conference held at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of the National Press Club.
The organisation urged political parties and candidates contesting the upcoming national parliamentary election to give due importance to the proposals by incorporating them into their election manifestos and declarations.
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Speakers at the press conference stated that ensuring a safe, just, climate-resilient, profitable, healthy, pollution-free, sustainable, and sovereign agriculture and food system has become one of the most pressing challenges of our time.
They also said that the excessive use of chemicals in the current agricultural and food production system, farmers' deprivation of fair prices, denial of rights to agricultural workers, and growing public health risks are deepening the crisis.
Addressing these challenges requires strong political commitment, they added, stressing that proposals related to safe agriculture and food must be included in the election pledges of participating parties and candidates.
At the event, joint spokesperson of the organisation, Pavel Partha presented the 20-point demands.
These include introducing farmer identity cards and ensuring farmers' rights; enforcing agricultural land protection laws; safeguarding soil health and agricultural biodiversity; ensuring farmers' rights over seeds and agricultural resources; stopping encroachment and pollution of rivers, canals, and wetlands.
The demands also include increasing the use of organic fertilisers while reducing chemical fertilisers; banning highly hazardous pesticides; regulating ultra-processed and harmful food; fixing fair prices for crops and strengthening local market systems; and introducing a minimum wage and pension scheme for agricultural workers.
They further include ensuring environmentally friendly waste management in agriculture and food sectors; conserving indigenous varieties of crops, fish, and livestock; expanding urban agriculture and rooftop gardening; and state-sponsored promotion of traditional agricultural products and food festivals.
Other demands include incorporating safe agriculture and food education into the education system; promoting locally based climate adaptation using indigenous knowledge; protecting the rights of farmers and agricultural workers and curbing corruption; introducing crop insurance and risk allowances for farmers; ensuring easy and interest-free agricultural loans; and strengthening skills and public awareness in safe agricultural production, processing, and marketing.
Others present at the event included Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) representative SM Nazer Hossain, Association for Land Reform and Development (ALRD) representative Shamsul Huda, Bangladesh Safe Food Alliance agronomist Aminul Islam Babu, among others.
At the programme, economist Anu Muhammad said that despite increased production, farmers are committing suicide and suffering from complex diseases, including cancer.
"Crop production is increasing in villages, but water is becoming poisonous. Groundwater levels are declining. Food is becoming toxic. A large proportion of cancer patients are farmers. This is not accidental—it is the outcome of the current development model," he said.
He warned that the impact of these problems would not remain limited to farmers alone but would eventually affect society as a whole.
Anu Muhammad further said that "After the Green Revolution, agricultural research should have focused on protecting indigenous crop varieties, water resources, and biodiversity. Instead, research focused on increasing production rapidly. As a result, soil, water, and people are all being harmed," he said.
"Agriculture is no longer just a source of food production—it has become a major source of illness. This reality must be questioned," he added.
