Rokhsana Rumi from Netrakona
BARCIK recently organized ‘yard fair’ to display uncultivated food plants and introduce them to the new generation at Arangabad village of Netrakona Sadar Upazila where the members of Uday youth organization and Shitalpati Kishori Sangathan partipated.
Considering the uncultivated food plants as safe and nutritious foods BARCIK has been encouraging the farmers to protect these plants and has been making efforts to depict the nutritional and environmental values of these plants to the communities. In consonance with its efforts, BARCIK facilitates farmers, particularly women to protect and conserve these plants and increase its use as foods and medicines. The organization thus arranges fair and meetings to introduce these food plants to the new generation as well so that they could understand and realize the importance of these plants.
However, as part of its series of activities associated with these uncultivated food plants the organization arranged the fair at the house a women farmers where the adolescent girls and youths participated. Participating in the event, Hosne Aran, an elderly woman from the village, said, ‘Our children should grow consuming safe food. Many women in our village cultivate safe non-toxic vegetables all year round in their backyards and homes. We eat it ourselves and sell it in the market.’ She went on saying, ‘adultery and unsafe foods are available in the market. These foods are toxic one as chemicals and pesticides are used in the production of these foods. Consuming these unsafe foods our children could get sick and the flourish of their merit may get distracted.’
Nonetheless, seven people including Tanjila Akhter, Rahima Akhter, Hosna Akhter, Sweety, Laila Akhter displayed 18 varieties of uncultivated spinaches and vegetables at the fair which are non-toxic and grown naturally in the nature. Besides, they also displayed vegetable and leafy vegetable such as Puishak, Lalshak, bitter gourd, wax gourd, eggplant, bean, Kalmishak, Laushak, Bautashak, Khetaburi, Heicha, Data, Mistilau, papaya etc. which they cultivated in an organic way.
It is to be noted that the food of all living beings is unsafe today. All foods contain toxins, chemicals and formalin. We are putting poison in the mouths of our future generations in the name of food. After all, we need to build a safe food environment to save our lives. BARCIK is providing support and advice to people of all walks such as farmers, youth and indigenous people who are interested in producing safe food in Netrakona region.
Translated by Silvanus Lamin
