Caring for cropland is crucial for food security and sustainable development. Human civilisation should show gratitude for 1500 million hectares of agricultural land, which sustains the lives of the 8.2 billion people in the global population. Bangladesh's 7.29 million ha of cropland are a strategic and precious resource, feeding a huge population of humans, poultry, and livestock. Against the backdrop of climate change, river erosion, salinisation, and pollution, the necessity for the conservation and care of agricultural soil is more important than ever.
December 05, is observed as the World Soil Day. Celebrated globally, this day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the crucial role of soil in food security, ecosystem management, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development. Events and initiatives on World Soil Day typically include educational campaigns, workshops, policy advocacy, seminars, and community activities. The theme for this year is "Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage," which underscores the importance of accurate soil data and information in understanding soil characteristics and supporting informed decision-making on sustainable soil management for food security. For Bangladesh, observance of this day bears special significance as our dying crop fields cry for action to survive and justice.
Agricultural land protection and land use law (draft) defines agricultural land as crop fields, land for growing fodder crops, livestock production and fisheries, pasture, forest, tea estates, orchards, fish farms, and water bodies for fish cultivation.
Reliable measurement or statistics for Bangladesh's agricultural land are a crucial issue, as there is no legal instrument to protect crop fields from widespread grabbing. Grabbing agricultural land in the name of physical development and farming shifts has been a pressing global issue posing significant food security and socio-economic concerns. Nearly seven million ha (0.6 per cent) of global cropland are lost annually because of unabated land grabbing for non-agricultural purposes. In Bangladesh, the annual loss of agricultural land is estimated to be more than 50 thousand ha. The absence of a law for the protection of agricultural land from grabbing has further increased the chances of land grabbing.
Agricultural land grabbing is more crucial in Bangladesh - a land-scarce and densely populated country. Influential people, businessmen, corporate elites, and big investors apply various illegal instruments such as political power, social harassment, physical force, administrative threats, financial offers, and false registration to grab crop fields, water bodies, public places, forests, and char lands. Currently, more than 60 per cent of the total land area is used for agricultural production in Bangladesh, while the global land-use share for agriculture is less than 10 per cent. To achieve an increased food production target from the decreasing cropland, Bangladeshi farmers grow multiple crops in 5.95 million ha (73 per cent of total cropland). Thus, occupying multiple-cropped fertile land for non-agricultural purposes poses significant risks to food security, livelihoods, and ecology.
Agriculture today faces a double-edged challenge - on the one hand, the urgent need to provide food to a growing population, and on the other hand, to do so in a sustainable way, without compromising the provision of ecosystem services by the soil, such as carbon sequestration, nutrient supply, and water cycle regulation.
The intensive use of machinery and chemical inputs increases compaction, erosion, and soil salinisation and decreases the content of organic matter and soil nutrients, negatively influencing the soil's productivity and long-term sustainability. Agricultural soil degradation under different cropping systems is a socioeconomic and environmental problem that must be urgently addressed, particularly considering that climate change is expected to have a strong negative impact on food production. Agricultural production will have to be increased by 60 per cent to meet the global food demand in 2050. Up to 58 per cent more food could be produced through sustainable soil management. Ninety-five per cent of our food comes from soils. Thirty-three per cent of soils are degraded. Healthy soil is essential for a healthy farming system and a healthy generation. Monitoring soil health aligns well with the theme of World Soil Day 2024. Sustainable soil health management is highly recommended for a sustainable agricultural system in the coming years.
At present, cropped land in Bangladesh is about 7.29 million hectares (60 per cent of the total area). Bangladesh's land-use intensity is the highest in the world. Bangladesh ranks first in the world in terms of intensive farming. Increasing agricultural production and urbanisation are putting increasing pressure on land. We are losing our valuable crop fields for development. To fuel industrialisation and urbanisation, the three-crop agricultural land goes forever to the stomach of the land grabbers.
Cropland resources are vital for food production, rural livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and land resilience, underscoring the critical need for their protection and sustainable management. However, rapid urban-rural development has led to the extensive occupation of cropland. This conversion has significant implications, including reduced agricultural productivity, potential food security challenges, and environmental concerns such as biodiversity loss and heightened strain on natural resources.
Aligning with the theme of the day, sustainable land management in Bangladesh is crucial due to the country's dense population, vulnerability to climate change, and heavy reliance on agriculture. Efficient land management aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 13 (Climate Action), and Goal 15 (Life on Land). Bangladesh should strive to implement sustainable land management with strong policies, stringent land protection laws, modern technologies, and community involvement.
The previous government started the parliamentary procedure to pass a law for the protection of agricultural land. However, it is still a draft law and is waiting for the parliamentary nod to be passed as a law. Further delay in enacting a stringent law for protecting agricultural land could promote land grabbing. The consequences will be dire if we fail to save our fertile crop fields from non-agricultural grabbing. To save our precious agricultural land, launching a social movement for land care is a demand of the age. To materialise the theme of World Soil Day 2024, let's all care for our beloved soil.
The writer is an agriculturist and civil servant.
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