Bangladesh Food Security Network (KHANI) organized a regional food rights conference in Khulna to address the multifaceted impacts of climate change and industrialization on food and nutrition rights in the southwestern region of Bangladesh, said a press release.
The conference, held on Thursday at the Khulna Press Club, brought together representatives from various professions, including small and marginal farmers, landless laborers, fishers, women, indigenous communities, forest dwellers, teachers, researchers, government officials, and civil society.
The event was a joint initiative of KHANI's member organizations: Clean, CEPR, Lokoj, Bindu Nari Unnayan Sangathan, Mongla Nagorik Samaj, Leaders, and PRAAN.
Mohammad Hossain Shawkat, Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) of the Khulna Division, was the chief guest. The conference was chaired by KHANI's Vice-Chair, Rezaul Karim Siddiqui, and moderated by its General Secretary, Nurul Alam Masud.
Special guests included Mosaddeq Hossain, Additional Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Enamul Haque, Convener of the Khulna Press Club, and Rabindranath Mondal, President of the Central Farmers Federation.
KHANI's General Secretary Nurul Alam Masud said, “The question of how farmers will survive is crucial for the new Bangladesh we envision. There is a sense of despair among Bangladeshi farmers; agriculture is no longer profitable, and they are burdened with debt.”
“Research shows that multidimensional poverty is very high in Bangladesh, and we are fourth among the world's top five food-insecure countries. While many commissions have been formed for reform in various sectors, no such commission has been created for agriculture. As per UN guidelines, it is necessary to enact a food rights law and reform social safety net programs to address the food crisis,” he added.
KHANI’s Vice-Chair Rezaul Karim Siddiqui, noted, “The successful adaptation of science in agriculture is not happening, which is a major challenge to our food security. We are destroying the environment and nature through our farming practices. We are acting as a bridge through this conference to bring the voices of the grassroots to the government.”
Mosaddeq Hossain, Additional Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said, “Earlier, the problem was salinity; now, waterlogging has been added. Parts of Keshabpur, Tala, and Dumuria are facing permanent waterlogging.
We oppose unplanned shrimp farming. We need crops, fish, and foreign currency. Therefore, unplanned enclosures must be stopped and replaced with planned ones. To ensure maximum production, we need ‘crop zoning’ to determine which crops to cultivate in which areas.”
A farmer from Batiaghata, Alamin, representing the farmers of the southwestern districts, said, “If planned initiatives can prevent the intrusion of saline water, agriculture can be saved. If heavy industries are not removed from the coastal areas of the Sundarbans, people's livelihoods will be at risk. We hope the government will take urgent steps to solve these problems.”
Key Demands and Recommendations from the Conference
The speakers at the conference presented several specific demands and recommendations on behalf of the climate-vulnerable small and marginal producers of the region. These included:
1. Legal Protection: Food rights must be recognized as a fundamental right of citizens, protected by the Right to Food law and policy.
2. Policy and Planning: The region's environment, food, and nutrition security must be given special emphasis in the National Climate Change Strategy, National Adaptation Plan, and Five-Year Plans. A comprehensive policy framework that reflects climate, environmental, and disaster risks should be drafted and integrated into the national budget.
3. Compensation and Insurance: Strong diplomatic initiatives must be taken to secure adequate compensation for climate-affected people from the ‘Loss and Damage’ fund. A state-owned insurance system for farmers and marginal producers should be established, and the inclusion of multinational companies in this sector should be prohibited.
4. Livelihoods and Technology: Funding for research, development, and expansion of climate-resilient and salt-tolerant agricultural technologies and crop varieties must be increased. Effective programs for indigenous and traditional agriculture should be adopted, and measures to preserve crop diversity should be taken. Priority programs, including social safety nets, should be implemented for climate-affected small farmers, fishers, and forest dwellers. Skill-based training and special financial incentives should be provided to women and youth for effective adaptation.
5. Environmental and Resource Management: Strict environmental policies and expanded taxes should be implemented to control unplanned commercial saline-water shrimp farming. The movement of seagoing vessels and the transportation of harmful substances (petroleum, chemicals) through the Sundarbans must be stopped. Urgent action is needed to conserve safe freshwater sources and restore river flows to combat salinity and drought.
Chief guest Mohammad Hossain Shawkat said, “I fully agree with the call for an agricultural commission. Simultaneously, a food rights law should be enacted that includes penalties for violations. Such a law would make the state legally accountable for ensuring its citizens' food security. Bringing the fallow coastal lands under planned cultivation will aid our overall agricultural security.”
Speakers also called for skill development for those who have migrated to cities after losing their livelihoods due to climate change. They emphasized expanding social safety net programs like ‘Cash for Work’ or direct cash transfers during disasters or unemployment. Urgent action was also requested to ensure the availability of safe drinking water through tube wells, desalination plants, and piped water supply in coastal areas.
