The Natural Cultivation

In a time when chemical adulteration has become too common, these companies stay true to their organic routes.  

By Shaikh Ashfaque Zaman

In a time when the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and steroids have become a prequisite for farming of any produce, dairy products or livestock; the value for quality products has dwindled. Given that the consumption of one apple can contain 25 chemicals, are we ever really having a truly pure product? According to International Federation of Agricultural Movement (IFOAM), as of 2014 organic farming has become a USD $40 billion industry, with 2.3 million organic producers and 43.7 million hectares of land. The demand to produce a product without chemicals is continually growing. ICE Business Times speaks to the companies and minds that are bringing the appetite for the organic back into the Bangladesh’s market.

Shasya Prabartana

Photograph: Kazi Mukul

In 1962, the U.S. had set an embargo on Cuba, a time in which the island nation would produce copious amounts of the finest quality tobacco and was dependant on imports for sustenance. Shahid Hussain Shamim, the Director of Prabartana and ShasyaPrabartana, was astonished by how the Cubans prevailed under these circumstances. “They were a country that had 8 tractors per hector of land so you can imagine the chemical incorporations. Fidel Castro brought in 48 scientists and within 18 months, they had become self-sufficient in terms of agricultural production.”
Shahid and his organization want organic farming to be recognized as an advanced science that agriculturalists apply from their research in order to produce the best optimal crops. Following the monsoon of 1988, they extensively conducted studies on how to create the most solvent with the organic techniques. “We applied the theory that our own people must eat first. The farmers that we work with must first feed themselves and then their surplus is sold to us.”
There is an emphasis on export with the drive for greater profit without a focus on the nourishment of the local population. “If we look at shrimp recently, it has been exorbitantly cultivated for the purpose of export and this created a monoculture. Creation of such monocultures destroy the ecological system that is in place and depletes the natural biodiversity.” He strongly suggests that we must stop introducing chemicals and hormones because with organic methods the good bacteria and parasites will allow for the greatest harvest.
“The trend goes beyond what you are consuming. Nourishment of a population will encourage technological and economical aspects. The scarcity of small fish for the local population denies them of vitamins necessary for good eyesight. In turn, this stops crafts such as muslin weaving. The crafts have already dwindled into an altered version of its original art,” postulates Shahid. He states that the uses of chemicals are responsible for the increased health problems. “Rangpur produces neel (Indigo dye) which naturally enhances the soil with organic nitrogen. Following the harvest of neel, they cultivate tobacco, so heavily sprayed that it creates a layer of fog. The most prosperous businesses in the area are pharmaceutical companies because the local population faces ailments from these very chemicals.”
He highlights that there are problems with the authorities. “Our government must take the first initiative like nations such as Bhutan have. We had 47 varieties of eggplants within the country; therefore I do not see why there are efforts to introduce a newer BT bringal, which is genetically modified. We must depend on our local crops.” In this context, the farmers associated with ShasyaPrabartanaare only producing crops that come from organic seeds, a policy they state as ‘seeds are sovereign’, that ensure the optimal crops.
“The consumer is the most significantly responsible for these chemically altered products. They create the trend and we have become a nation that judges food with our eyes. If you want to purchase a watermelon based on how red it is in color, you are encouraging the seller to inject color for a desirable product.” Shahid encourages the general public to be knowledgeable and stop these adulteration trends by simply shopping smarter and refusing to buy products that have been altered. “If the customer demands an all natural product without focus on aesthetics, the retailers will be forced to follow that trend. Simply discarding altered products as it enters the market or the city is not the solution.”
Shahid does not look to large organic manufacturers such as Whole Food for inspiration; “The Japanese farmer, Mr. Murakami, has followed the model of permaculture within Japan in which he supplies and harvest enough food for the land. We have such rich soil and water supplies with our geographic location in the Bay of Bengal that our local market is enough to keep a flourishing economy. Additionally, he infers that organic culture can prosper within our nation and create a sector of Eco-tourism. “We have had tourists from Japan and Canada come to our nation in order to study the richness of the soil; going organic and maintaining quality standards will allows this form of tourism to become economically beneficial.”
With the endeavors to expand to the richness of the honey of Sundarban and dried fruits to an international market, Prabartana is one of the pioneers of the organic potential of the nation. They have and continue to remain a brand that is definitively recognized, proving that the all-natural product will prevail in a survivalist economy.

Bangladesh Organic Products Manufacturers Association (BOPMA)

Photograph: Kazi Mukul

As a young child, Abdus Salam, the President of BOPMA, recalls buying a hilsha for 3 taka, “I would have to hold it up because it would drag against the ground.” He further elaborates that the price of hilsha should have only doubled considering the population increase. “Unfortunately that hilsha is anywhere from 100 to 1,000 times more expensive; a result of the chemicals that have depleted the number of fish and eggs that are produced. We have driven 19 species of local fish into extinction.”
Many people believe that going organic involves a much greater expense in terms of production and manpower. Abdus refutes this myth, “If you produce products organically, the production rate will increase by 15 to 20% and production cost will decrease by almost 70% in the long term.” The fertile soil contains minimum 5% humus (organic matter) naturally, organic matter that helps healthy, strong and nutritious crops. “Upon the use of artificial chemical to induce growth and pesticides, you destroy the organic matter in the soil. Eventually as the soil becomes dead, you need to increase the amount of fertilizer for growth and the amount of pesticide because your products are unhealthy, attracting more pests.”
Abdus recalls meeting with Dr. Z Karim, a soil scientist who helped him understanding the soil test have proven that our soil is almost dead and it would take 6 crore (60 million) tons of organic fertilizer resuming soil health and this was only 10 years ago. “The current conventional methods of agriculture are responsible for 30% ofglobal warming. Furthermore organic is totally against of the GMO crops.”
The process to cultivate organic products takes up to three years and follows a number of very strict international regulations. Abdus explains, “It takes 3 years to make an organic product because the land that is in grown within has to be chemical free for at least 3 years. During the first harvest year we can state that it is chemical free. It is considered 30 to 50% organic during the second harvest year and 80% in the third. During the fourth year, we can sell the product as authentically organic.” Furthermore the seeds that are used must be organic; the water must be free of toxin and no opportunity for alien soil to incorporate. “We have to create a bar of land that is at least 10 meters from any other land in order to avoid any change of cross contamination from the surround land.”
Abdus emphasizes the need for stronger regulations and ethical practices, “There is adulteration in every phase. The country requires only 50 tons of formalin, but we are importing 500 tons through legal channels. Additionally the feed that are being given to livestock contains mercury, chromium, lead and cadmium, all of which are carcinogenic.” He stresses the need for the government to strongly implement strict punishments. “The respective authorities are strongly enforcing that GMO products cannot be exported but the list of acceptable products for consumption in our country is increasing day by day.”
“We would like to expand our venture to growing peanuts, rice protein, soy protein, buckwheat powder and cashews. These products have the potential to be grown here and exported,” states Abdus. He has been approached by companies such as Nestle for these commodities but local banks are reluctant to provide the loans necessary to create the provisions for this because the local population is not familiar with it.
BOPMA is dedicated to a Bangladesh that does not need to market products with the incentive that they are free of chemicals. Abdus would like to see the return to the day when the fish were allowed to mature to the size that only the natural course of its life would allow.

The Organic Farmer

Photograph: Kazi Mukul

After many years of working abroad, Mohammad Mamunur Rahim, the Organic Agriculturist of the Organic Farmer, noticed a stark reality that we are consuming chemically contaminated food, also in his village of Narasingdi. “The farmers of my village were plentiful but they were not making enough to lead a prosperous livelihood. I was aware that we were an agricultural nation; I knew that something would have to be done regarding the situation of nutrient quality and agricultural economy.”
The Organic Farmer has organized a cooperative society of 4,000 farmers in the upazillas of Narasingdi and various parts of Bangladesh. Mohammad elaborates, “We not only provide them with organic seeds and material. Our cooperative society is dedicated to teaching them about vermi-compost and the overall benefits of organic farming.” The farmers have been taught the overall benefits of vermi-compost and how it provides the nutrient and growth enhancing hormones that will provide better growth maintaining qualities. “Our organization has also introduced the utilization of bio-pesticides and sex-pheromone pest traps because they are less toxic. These provisions ensure that the produce remains safe, the other specimens of the ecology are not affected, decompose quickly, and increase land fertility.” Moreover, the use of bio-pesticides as a component of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs allows for decreased use of conventional pesticides and higher crop yield.
The organization emphasizes the practice of organic farming citing it as beneficial in the long term and boosting foreign currency through export of surplus products. “There are a number of benefits to organic farming which include more beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and no chemical based pesticides.” Mohammad explains that there are a number of factors that are in play when farmers or countries decide to grow GMO products. “GMO products are a new supply of food, therefore their safety is uncertain. Furthermore there is a risk of chemical contamination and environmental ramifications to the air and water supply. These products do not need to be labelled and therefore consumers are not aware of what they are buying.”
With the progression of technology, healthier alternatives are continually being introduced to the market and the Organic Farmer has cultivated the natural sweetener, stevia, for the past nine years. “With a population of 165 million, the consumption of sugar is around 1.5 million tons per year which is equivalent to 5,000 tons of stevia. This sweetener is not only 300 times sweeter; it contains no calories, is free of sucrose and carbohydrates and a single source for numerous vitamins. Stevia is a natural substance that controls and prevents diabetes, constipation and blood pressure.”’
The organization has expanded their ventures further with the only tissue culture lab in Bangladesh in the private sector; they are currently working on promoting new vegetables such as asparagus and cultivating new crops such as macadamia nuts for increased agricultural export. Mohammad postulates, “Our tissue lab is used to clone and multiply disease free plantlets that will provide our farmers with higher yields and harvest.” The practice of using a tissue culture lab has proven to be beneficial in numerous ways, expanding the array of produce available and enhancing the growth of the existing ones. “The lab provides production of plants that would have a low chance of germinating, plants produced in the sterile container inherently reducing the chances of transmitting harmful particles and cleaning particular plants of viral and other infections. Overall it plays a positive role on the food security and quality of the agriculture.”
Mohammad and his friends had started their organization with vision that the slow poisoning that was being induced by the poor nature of crops would cease to exist. They are dedicated to stopping the disease state induced by unhealthy produce, increasing farmer productivity through organic farming and introducing new products to increase the agricultural economy of the nation.

Disclaimer: All the views and opinions expressed in this article belong to Mohammad Mamunur Rahim. He can be reached at mmrahim@yahoo.com

Dhaka Dough

Photograph: Sakib Muhtasim

Upon a 4 month cycle tour of the pristine, wintry lands from Alaska to Toronto, the creators of Dhaka Dough stopped upon a quaint café in Winnipeg called Stella. “The store captivated us with its simplicity. They were a flourishing café, using only the products of the local market. It truly became the highlight of our entire trip and inspired us to utilize the potential of our land.” Dhaka Dough prides itself in the all-natural product that is produced in our land and the rustic look further enhances their endeavor to go back to the organic roots of Bangladesh.
“We have become a culture that is more concerned with the aesthetic appeal of the product. Very few consumers are concerned or allowed to taste or see the actual products” states the creators of Dhaka Dough. “The customer should have an interactive experience with the product and use all of their senses before their purchase.” The creators have generated an atmosphere that is both environmentally friendly and completely focused on the potential of the local market.
They have faced a number of challenges when it comes to selling their products because of the pricing. “Hypothetically, if a product cost 30 taka/kg, we cannot sell it for 40 taka/kg because there is a manufacturing cost. Our prices are seasonal and they are in accordance to the quality of product that you’re purchasing.” They emphasize that their products are not exorbitantly priced because the profit that the farmer is receiving creates a healthier cycle; increasing the profits of the farmers will automatically bring in the incentive to produce a better quality product. “Our chili powder may 1,300 taka/kg because there are no seeds when we ground the final product.And seeds are the major contributor of the mass of any chili.”
“There is a necessity to focus on the products within our own nation. Given the rich variety of local products and fertility of our land, we don’t understand the increasing demand for imported goods.” They cite the example of rice as a commodity that is abundant in our country but is still being imported. “We strive to use local seeds and only collect from local harvesters because importing a product is an investment to a foreign nation. It takes away from the agricultural economy of our nation.”
Dhaka dough is so dedicated to organic way, that their packaging emphasizes their rustic and natural appeal. “We refuse to use any plastic packaging because of the harmful nature. When we decided to package our honey within wooden jars, it served multiple purposes. The package is extremely distinctive; it contains beeswax which preserves the taste of the product and provides wood carvers with a source of income, siphoning the revenue throughout the country.”
The idea of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is that they will provide for the greater needs of through cheaper facilitation. “The penetration of these products is not well known. We are essentially interrupting the naturally fertile ecology of our country. This is causing greater damage to the availability of nourishment to Bangladesh.”
Once entering their shop, the signature stamp Dhaka Dough on their products does not simply leave a visual impression. It is an experience of the unique potential of the local products of this lush nation.