Agri goods produced by destroying life, nature can’t be called food: Adviser Farida

Agricultural goods that are produced by destroying life and nature should be labelled as industrial products, not food, Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said today (5 May).

"If we destroy nature-life while producing food, will it still be a food product? It will become an industrial product. If we produce agricultural goods like industrial products, it will not be food, and there will be no farmers," she said while addressing a session on "Food Security and Fairness to Farmers" at "Agriculture, Food Security and Farmers' Fairness Conference 2025", organised by Bonik Barta at a hotel in Dhaka.

She also said, "There is talk of mechanisation in agriculture. We need to see whether we are doing any harm by doing that. Due to this, the use of livestock is also decreasing. Here, we need to look at the consumer side so that they get safe food, and we also need to look at the farmer side so that they can produce and make a profit."

Speaking as the guest of honour, Agriculture Secretary Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian said, "A 25-year plan is being adopted for the development of the country's agriculture, taking into account the population growth rate. When we talk about the health of agriculture, we mean the soil. 

"We are working to increase the fertility of the soil. We will determine which crops will be good in which region and on which soil, according to the fertility of the soil, and move towards cultivating suitable crops on that soil."

Demanding recognition of agriculture as one of the main drivers of economic growth, Bangladesh Agricultural University Vice Chancellor Professor AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan said every field of human activity is related to agriculture. 

"But agriculture has never been officially recognised. Although many sectors, including garments, are considered the driving force of the country, agriculture still remains in its traditional state," he added.

Former director general of Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute Jahangir Alam said, "The country is currently experiencing high inflation. In this situation, there is no alternative to increasing food production if inflation is to be reduced."

Also speaking at the event, ACI Agribusiness Division President FH Ansari said, "Farm labour is continuously decreasing. In 1960, 60% of the people were involved in agriculture. It has reduced by half to 30% now. It is estimated that it will come down to 25% by 2030. 

"To overcome this situation, it is necessary to include the youth. And the use of advanced technology will increase the interest of the youth in the agricultural sector."