Excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is contributing to a rise in diseases among people. Farmers account for 36 percent of cancer patients in Bangladesh. While the discussion once centered around “safe food,” it now focuses on nutritional security, as overuse of chemicals is degrading soil fertility and weakening human immunity. Speakers made these remarks at a policy dialogue titled “Different Aspects of the National Agricultural Policy and the Challenges and Way Forward for Implementing the Agri-Food System”, held at the Bonik Barta office on Thursday, November 6.
The dialogue was jointly organized by Agroecology Coalition Bangladesh, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), German-based development organization Welthungerhilfe, and Bonik Barta.
Presided over by PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader, the event featured Agriculture Secretary Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian as the chief guest, and Director General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) S M Sohrab Uddin as the special guest.
Bonik Barta’s Assistant Editor and Special Correspondent, Md Badrul Alam, moderated the discussion.
Mohsin Ali, Convener of Agroecology Coalition Bangladesh and Executive Director of Wave Foundation, delivered the welcome speech, while Ahmed Borhan, Director of Research at the Center for Social Research (CSR), presented the keynote paper.
Other participants included Dr. Md Harunur Rashid, Director of SAARC Agriculture Center (SAC); Dr. Mohammad Razu Ahmed, component director (deputy secretary) at Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM); Nurun Nahar, country director of Heifer International Bangladesh; Dr. Md Monjurul Alam, National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Specialist at The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Mashiat Chowdhury, Country Program Analyst at International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Dr. Ganga Dutta Acharya, Director of Research at CIRDAP; Mamunur Rashid, Project Head at Welthungerhilfe; Dr. Mohammad Mahbub Islam, Professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University; Md Amirul Islam, Operations Manager (South and Central Asia) at Asian Farmers Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA); Shahanuare Shaid Shahin, President of Bangladesh Agricultural Journalist Forum (BAJF); Ataur Rahman Miton, Vice-President of BSAFE Foundation; Mizanur Rahman, Convener of Krishi Morcha, National Committee; Mohammad Ali, Representatives of Chuadanga Krishi Morcha; and Jannatul Mousumi, Representative of Manikganj Krishi Morcha.
In the welcome remarks, Mohsin Ali, Convener of Agroecology Coalition Bangladesh and Executive Director of Wave Foundation, said, “With the support of PKSF, an Agroecology Center has been established at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University. The Agroecology Learning Center will not only serve learners from Bangladesh but also welcome participants from other SAARC countries.”
In his keynote, Ahmed Borhan stated that excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides is polluting soil and water, reducing biodiversity, and increasing health risks. He cited a research showing that overuse of pesticides has made farmers more vulnerable to cancer.
He also highlighted inconsistencies and challenges in the existing National Agricultural Policy, proposing several recommendations, including revising the policy to eliminate dualities, integrating agro-ecology and food system frameworks, and increasing investment in organic fertilizers to reduce dependence on chemicals.
Borhan also suggested forming a specialized wing under the Agriculture Ministry to legally register and support Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), assisting them with skills development and technology adoption. He emphasized investment in renewable energy–powered irrigation and cold storage to advance transformative agricultural practices, establishing an independent marketing system across the country centered on farmer organizations, designing dedicated curricula and training programs for both agricultural extension officers and farmers to accelerate agro-ecological practices.
PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader remarked, “Agriculture offers only about 6 percent return on investment, the lowest among all sectors. The farmer does not want his child in this profession. The main reason is that farmers’ income has not increased in proportion to production.”
He warned that overuse of chemicals is causing severe health issues, “Thirty-six percent of cancer patients are farmers. Earlier, we talked about safe food; now, we talk about nutrition security. In other words, food alone is not enough, its nutritional quality matters too.”
DAE Director General S M Sohrab Uddin noted that full organic farming is impractical in a densely populated country like Bangladesh. “If our population were 20 million, it could be done.
He further said, “If we keep demanding ‘toxic-free food’ without considering the realities of production and pricing, farmers will suffer. As the population grows, so does the pressure to produce more. Maintaining this balance is our biggest challenge. Therefore, policies must be shaped in line with real-life conditions. Blindly following foreign models is of no use—what works abroad may not work for us.”
Md Harunur Rashid, Director of SAARC Agriculture Center (SAC), said, “Our food production process is still linear. Once we integrate food loss and waste management into it, the system will become circular. We taught farmers to use fertilizers and pesticides, so the blame doesn’t lie with them. We need to assess whether they are overusing these chemicals. We want to move away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides, but without evidence-based measures, this transition cannot be implemented effectively.”
Dr. Mohammad Razu Ahmed, Component Director (Deputy Secretary) at DAM, said, “The Ministry of Agriculture faces many challenges, but has achieved a great deal too. Today, nearly every village has Vermicompost entrepreneurs. However, the market for these organic products remains limited, that’s also a reality.”
Emphasizing the need for women-friendly agricultural technologies, Nurun Nahar, Country Director of Heifer International Bangladesh, said, “Developing women-friendly farming technology is essential. Many of the machines currently in use are too heavy for women to operate. We need to recommend lighter, more user-friendly tools designed to suit them.”
Dr. Md Monjurul Alam, National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Specialist at FAO, pointed out weaknesses in policy implementation. “Our policies are well-structured, but implementation remains weak,” he said. “In this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence, sensors, IoT, and digital agriculture are advancing together. Yet our infrastructure is weak, and data-driven decision-making is still limited. To implement digital agriculture, we need a strong database and data centers, along with skilled human resources. Unless universities update their curricula, we won’t be able to adapt to the technology-driven agriculture of the future.”
Mashiat Chowdhury, Country Program Analyst at IFAD, emphasized the need to ensure fair prices to encourage farmers to adopt environmentally friendly farming practices. She said, “Farmers lose interest in sustainable agriculture because they don’t receive consistent incentives. Those who produce through agro-ecological methods rarely get fair prices in the market. The prices of their organic produce are almost the same as those grown with chemicals, making it impossible for them to compete. Our certification system must also be strengthened so that these farmers can sell their products at better prices in both domestic and international markets.”
Dr. Ganga Dutta Acharya, Director of Research at CIRDAP, said, “There’s no real issue with our policies. During policy-making, we collect the best ideas from around the world. We have excellent policies everywhere, but the real challenge arises when it comes to field-level implementation. Over the past 30 to 40 years, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in agriculture. Yet, major problems persist. Farmers still say they don’t get quality seeds and fertilizers on time. These materials are expensive, there’s a shortage of labor, and they don’t get fair prices in the market. Such complaints continue to echo across the country.”
Md Mamunur Rashid, Project Head of WHH, said, “At present, agro-ecology is not clearly reflected in Bangladesh’s agricultural or organic farming policies. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the Ministry of Agriculture should jointly develop a National Food System Framework, which could either be a separate policy or part of the existing ones. To work effectively at the field level, we need a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government. This process should begin soon with the cooperation of the DAE and universities.”
Shahanuare Shaid Shahin, President of BAJF, said, “Our agricultural production has surpassed 100 million tons. But the question remains — what are we losing to achieve this? According to media reports, nearly half of the farmers admitted to the National Institute of Cancer Research are suffering from pesticide-related diseases. Over the past 40 years, we have used more than one billion kilograms of pesticides. That’s a public health disaster.”
Ataur Rahman Miton, Vice-President of the BSAFE Foundation, said, “It’s impossible to expect safe food while destroying the environment. Currently, there’s a contradiction within our food policy. On one hand, we promote organic and environment-friendly agriculture, but on the other, billions in subsidies are spent each year on chemical fertilizers—while support for organic fertilizers is almost nonexistent. To address this imbalance, our policies must be interconnected and harmonized.”
Mizanur Rahman, Convener of the Krishi Morcha, National Committee, said, “To restore soil health, we must return to environment-friendly agriculture. For that, training, skill development, and measures to curb the expansion of chemical-based farming are essential.”
Mohammad Ali, representative of Krishi Morcha, Chuadanga, said, “The government needs to increase investment in the organic fertilizer sector. It could also provide low-interest loans to encourage production in this area.”
Jannatul Mawsumi, representative of Krishi Morcha, Manikganj, said, “To ensure safe food, small farmers need to be organized. Through such groups, they can gain access to agricultural information and move forward collectively. Farmers should also receive training in agricultural technologies.”
Highlighting the issue of inadequate agricultural data, Dr. Mohammad Mahbub Islam, Professor at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, said, “Research findings often show one result, but the reality in the field can be quite different. Likewise, the quality seen in research doesn’t always match actual outcomes. This is deeply concerning. For agricultural transformation, we must integrate modern technology and stay connected with global technological advancements.”
Amirul Islam, Operations Manager (South and Central Asia) at AFA, said, “In Bangladesh, every profession has its own organization — except farmers. Though we have cooperatives, they are largely ineffective. In countries like Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand, farmer organizations are strong, transparent, and accountable. There, the government, the finance ministry, and the agriculture ministry work together. Unfortunately, that coordination is missing in our country.”
Speaking as the chief guest at the policy dialogue, Agriculture Secretary Dr. Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian said, “We want to introduce resource planning that considers both needs and demand. We will review the supply and demand of fertilizers, irrigation, and organic pesticides. We’re also working on agricultural mechanization, but we won’t rush into it. No technology should be introduced abruptly if it risks taking away farmers’ jobs — because we don’t yet have sufficient alternative employment opportunities for them.”
The Agriculture Secretary further said, “Organic fertilizer is an area I’m deeply interested in. It’s essential to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. We need strong awareness campaigns to make farmers understand the benefits of using organic fertilizer and the harm caused by excessive chemical use. Overuse of chemicals is destroying soil fertility and increasing cancer risks. These issues must be communicated widely.”