Organic Agriculture Policy To Be Finalized For Safe Food And Exports:Fakhar

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2021 ) :Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam on Tuesday said that national organic agriculture policy to be formed in consultation with all stakeholders for ensuring safe and healthy food to local population besides taping export potential of organic food.

Addressing a workshop on 'Building Policy Ecosystem for Organic Production Landscape in Pakistan', Fakhar said that immense potential in the organic agriculture ecosystem can play an important role in fighting poverty and climatic change.

There is a dire need to promote organic agriculture for safe and healthy food to local and international populations, he said adding that it will help in efficient water management practices for future generations and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as well as transforming conventional agriculture production system.

The event was was organized by Center for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) Regional Bio-Science Center Pakistan.

Fakhar Imam said that policy will play a pivotal role to boost the domestic organic industry, he said adding that workshop of organic agriculture policy intended to form a national working group to build the policy ecosystem for the organic production landscape in Pakistan for organic agriculture promotion.

The workshop was also attended by representatives from the Federal, provincial governments and private sector including seed, bio-inputs companies, dealers, manufacturers, farmers associations and organic farmers to acknowledge the emerging demand of the organic agriculture landscape and its role in poverty alleviation.

The stakeholders accorded the importance of organic agriculture policy and the availability of organic seed and bio-inputs to make organic agriculture sustainable and provided suggestions regarding organic agriculture policy development.

Syed Fakhar Imam appreciated the CABI's efforts to lead policy development work regarding organic agriculture production and also assured full support in establishing the national working group with members from the federal, provincial government and private sector to develop the organic agriculture policy for Pakistan.

He said that development of organic Agriculture policy will play a pivotal role to boost the domestic organic industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council Dr Muhammad Azeem also highlighted the importance of organic agriculture policy development in context of national organic agriculture sector development and ensured the technical support to develop organic agriculture policy.

Dr Babar E. Bajwa, Senior Regional Director Asia, CABI briefed the participants about the importance of the transformation of agriculture from conventional to organic in the context of food safety, climate change and exports.

He elaborated how the emerging demand for organic products in the international market developed opportunities for Pakistani organic products such as cotton and also pointed out the potential of organic agriculture to mitigate the threats due to climate change.

He also shared ideas to increase the sustainability of the agricultural production system by minimizing the use of chemical inputs, fertilizers and pesticides as well as making agriculture more environmentally sustainable and economically viable.