biodiversity – Ubinig

3. Reinventing Agriculture: Need a paradigm shift to agro-ecological principles

20May

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3. Reinventing Agriculture: Need a paradigm shift to agro-ecological principles

UBINIG Wednesday 20 May 2020 || READ BY SUBJECT: COVID-19: UBINIG Report Series COVID-19 pandemic is revealing the disastrous consequences of the neo-liberal development policy that systematically undermined and dismantled the social and the collective responsibility of the State towards its members. In the neo-liberal development paradigm, market dictates vital national concerns such as health, food, nutrition, livelihood and human behaviour. Systematic downplaying of the vital national concerns and its strategy to dismantle or reconfigure existing socio-economic relations and institutions contributed to among others the collapse of public health . The onset of Covid-19 pandemic made this collapse instantly visible, signalling the precarious and vulnerable conditions of all other...

Crop variability in Mamudpur Village: richness and diversity

20Jun

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Biodiversity, Knowledge and Culture

Crop variability in Mamudpur Village: richness and diversity

Ubinig and Nayakris Andolon Four Cell Analyses: richness, evenness of biodiversity- Participatory research for estimation of the state of biodiversity of a particular geographical location. A discussion meeting involving some farmers of Mamudpur and other villages was organized on 16 June, 2019. Participating farmers: 1. Surya Begum, village: Babupur, 2. Ali Hossain, village: Babupur, 3. Osman Ghani, village: Mushuria, 4. Amena Begum, village: Mamudpur, 5. Rina Begum, village: Mamudpur, Nabiron Begum came from Fazilhati village and participated as an observer. These farmers have been involved with Nayakrishi for long and have been playing active role in management of Seed Akhra. Nayakrishi farmers are participating agriculture like all other small farmers in the coun...

The Joy of Biodiversity: Visible and Invisible Economy of Nayakrishi

5Mar

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Nayakrishi Andolon

The Joy of Biodiversity: Visible and Invisible Economy of Nayakrishi

Nayakrishi Andolon The word ‘economy’, as originally derived from Greek, is not about numbers, quantities and calculations but about the management (νέμoμαι ) of the household (οίκος). Implicit in this notion of household is first of all the active role a household plays in the biological reproduction of both the members of the family as well as the ecological and material foundation of farming, i.e. the conditions of production and secondly, the exchange and distribution of the products that may or may not take monetary forms or calculated in monetary terms. Here we use the word ‘economy’ in this etimological sense in order to avoid distortions created by monetized and quantitative representation of the gains and returns that could only appear in the market and thus the real gain...

Nayakrishi Andolon: `A Short Introducton

26Nov

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About Nayakrishi Andolon

Nayakrishi Andolon: `A Short Introducton

Nayakrishi Andolon CULTIVATING ‘ANANDA’: JOY OF FARMING AND HEALTHY LIVING Nayakrishi Andolon (New Agriculture Movement) is the farmer-led movement in Bangladesh for Shohoj way to Ananda, or simply, joyful living through the practice of biodiversity-based ecological agriculture. Nayakrishi Andolon represents peasant’s resistance against the corporate takeover of global seed, food, and health chain, an assertion that it is the farming communities of small holdings, not the multinational corporations, that feed us. The immediate ecological management of food, nutrition, and health directly constitute the biological foundation of the local communities and dictates them to avoid various fictitious notions of 'development' instead of what they must deal with as real problem. Farm...

12Nov

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Events/News

FAO honoured Nayakrishi Farmer

Ubinig and Nayakrishi Andolon FAO Bangladesh sent one woman farmer Ms Rina Begum to FAO Regional office, Thailand on the occasion of the world food day 2015. She is a Nayakrishi farmer from the Delduar Upazilla of Tangail district. Rina Begum was chosen by the Ministry of Agriculture as one of the best farmer. Nayakrishi is the practice of biodiversity-based ecological agriculture following 10 simple rules. Because of the ecosystemic approach to agriculture and the use of good and healthy seed maintained and conserved by experienced farmers, pesticide is not required. As a principle Nayakrishi farmers use no biocides. As soil production from the on-farm composting is a regular practice, there is hardly any need for chemical fertiliser. Nayakrishi does not use ground wa...

Nayakrishi Andolon: Farmers movement for biodiversity conservation and food sovereignty

28Aug

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Nayakrishi Andolon

Nayakrishi Andolon: Farmers movement for biodiversity conservation and food sovereignty

Farida Akhter Ecological meaning of ‘small and marginal’ farmers We know that ‘small and marginal farmers’ not only ensure food supply to 150 million people of Bangladesh but contribute to the conservation and regeneration of country’s agro-biodiversity and genetic resources. Small and marginal farms also perform various other ecological and environmental services. Farmers are the repository of social memory, wisdoms and knowledge practices without which agriculture can not contionue. However, the economic notions such as ‘small and marginal farmer’ or ‘subsistence agriclture’, etc., developed concurrently with the ideology of Green Revolution’, may become a hindrance in understanding the complex nature of agriculture and the functions they play in ecology and environment. G...

GM crops and loss of biodiversity : A Silent Death trap

20May

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GMOs & Genetic Engineerings

GM crops and loss of biodiversity : A Silent Death trap

Farida Akhter The International Day for Biological Diversity on May 22 is observed to increase understanding and awareness on biological diversity that include ecosystemic variability and indigenous knowledge and/or cultural practices. In December 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted this day to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). In Bangladesh, the Ministry of Environment and Forest hardly observes the day, though Bangladesh has signed the CBD. Despite many valid critique of the text, people’s environmental and ecological movements consider the day as a historic moment. It has opened up a new epoch to rethink industr...

Addressing ‘micro-nutrient’ deficiencies in Bangladesh: a Nayakrishi Perspective

28Mar

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Nayakrishi Andolon

Addressing ‘micro-nutrient’ deficiencies in Bangladesh: a Nayakrishi Perspective

Farhad Mazhar and Dr. M. A. Sobhan 'Currently most research is invested in new technologies rather than in making better use of existing knowledge. Much more research is needed to turn existing knowledge into practical application.' (WHO 2013) UBINIG’s commitment to biodiversity-based approaches to agriculture, health and nutrition is based on a critical understanding of various technological approaches to solve some of the major problems of poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Recent interest in biofortification, particularly of staple crops, is of critical interest to UBINIG, particularly to the network of Nayakrishi farmers, Specialized Seed Networks and the network of Dai Mas (traditional birth attendants). All of these networks are firmly grounded on valuable local know...

18Mar

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Biodiversity, Knowledge and Culture

Agriculture in Copenhagen COP 15: much to do about biodiversity-base

Farhad Mazhar During 7 to 18 December, 2009, the world leaders from 192 countries will meet in Copenhagen, Denmark to negotiate an agreement at the COP 15 of the UNFCCC to keep global temperatures below catastrophic levels. The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992 as the basis for a ‘global’ response to the problem. The COP 15 conference claims that the ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent disastrous human interference with the climate system. Various studies have already shown that a rise of 2 degrees Celsius in global temperatures would probably destroy 30 percent to 40 percent of all known species, gener...

Farmers are happy with Mamudpur Seed Hut

9Feb

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Nayakrishi Andolon

Farmers are happy with Mamudpur Seed Hut

Dr. M. A. Sobhan and Jahangir Alam Jony Mamudpur Nayakrishi Seed Hut (NSH) started its journey in 2001. UBINIG has been holding training session, exposure visit, farmer exchange, festival in Mamudpur and adjoining other villages on biodiversity based farming. Rina Begum along with other farmers of Mamudpur village received Nayakrishi (Biodiversity based farming) training conducted by UBING. Since then they have been practicing Nayakrishi. Gradually the other farmers started joining Nayakrishi. These activities have created awareness for conservation and management of PGR at community level. Rina Begum along with other Nayakrishi farmers realized the importance of seed conservation and became interested to collect local seeds for the improvement of their livelihood integration. Acc...