Photo: Collected
Adviser on Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Syeda Rizwana Hasan stressed the adoption of sustainable farming practices in agriculture.
She emphasized this importance in a speech titled "Transforming Agri-Food Systems: Integration of Environmental Policies in Two Agri-Food Systems-Challenges and Opportunities" at the 8th IUCN Regional Conservation Forum in Bangkok, the capital of Thailand on September 4, 2024.
In it, experts from different Asian countries discuss various important environmental issues.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan highlighted the need for organic food production, reduction in the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, support for traditional farming practices of local agriculture and forest-dependent ethnic communities, and the need to incorporate environmental principles into the agri-food system.
Highlighting the importance of aligning agricultural practices with environmental sustainability, she said current agri-food systems are one of the main causes of environmental degradation, including deforestation, soil degradation, and water scarcity.
She also said that incorporating environmental principles into the agri-food system is not only necessary, but it is a responsibility that we have to fulfill. The challenges are great, but the opportunities to create a sustainable future are greater.
The environmental advisor also discussed the special challenges of countries like Bangladesh, where agricultural practices are closely linked to the livelihoods of millions of people.
She called for innovative policy solutions and greater regional cooperation to effectively address these issues.
In a separate meeting held with the IUCN Director General, the Environment Adviser requested support for creating a progressive legal framework in Bangladesh for forest conservation, establishing a sanctuary for orphaned elephants, and restoring the ecological integrity of the island of St. Martin.
Source: Online/GFMM
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