Are the farmers a ‘means’ of increasing production only?

Farmer Abdur Rahman from Noakhali died at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on the first day of this year after three weeks in a coma. He died at the age of 55 when the average life expectancy of the country’s people is nearing to 80.

Abdur Rahman had long been suffering from diseases. Finally, he was diagnosed with lung cancer last year. He was undergoing chemotherapy treatment at the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH). In December last year, he sustained head injuries after falling on the bathroom floor and never regained consciousness since then.

In 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic broke out, several incidents of farmers falling ill on the crop field were reported in the country. Some of them also died while spreading insecticide. The media first reported such an incident on 4 March 2019 in the form of tragic death of Tarek Hossain, 20, from Monpura village in Kachua upazila of Chandpur. Many such deaths were reported from several districts including Bogura, Pabna, Joypurhat, and Tangail.

No major investigation were carried out over these deaths. No one showed an urge to carry out the investigation to find out the cause of their deaths. Police visited Monpura village two days after the death of Chandpur’s Abu Sufian. Nothing proceeds after that.

A commentary titled “Farmers dying on their fields” was published in Prothom Alo on 21 October 2019. Eminent persons of the country issued a joint statement demanding a judicial probe after publishing the commentary. Several human rights organisations also vowed to go to the court. They, however, didn’t feel the urge due to a lack of interest from the affected people. Then coronavirus overshadowed everything including the death of the farmers.

Where is the time to think about the farmers who always stay at the bottom rung? Farmers, who produce food for everyone, are being exploited by everyone. That is why farmers or their families don’t want to file lawsuits and get involve in any hassle. In many cases, pesticide companies 'manage' things with the affected farmers.

Now many farmers are reportedly dying of cancer along with the deaths of farmers in the crop field.

Recent data and statistics of the government-run National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) also confirmed it. The latest report (cancer registry report: 2015-17) of the hospital’s Cancer Epidemiology department says, about one-third of the hospital’s patients who are found to have cancer every year are farmers. Besides, the rate of cancer detection among farmers is increasing.

The NICRH’s count includes only the patients who went to Dhaka for treatment. Many farmers can’t afford treatment in Dhaka or even at divisional and district towns. Where will we find the account of those farmers?

Patients from Bangladesh who afford to receive treatment in India have heard of Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment and Research Institute in Rajasthan. Farmers from North India receive cancer treatment there at a minimum cost. Farmers from North India, especially Punjab, are growingly suffering from cancer. Locals blame uncontrolled use of insecticide and fertiliser, increased pollution, and negligee of authorities for the spread of this lethal disease.

We know that the agricultural perspective of India and Bangladesh is not the same. Nothing from North India, including the physical structure of farmers, use of technology and machinery, weather, food habit, size of lands, ownership, food market consideration, government procurement policy, quality and quantity of incentives, are similar to us.

Differences are more than similarities. So, why do we find so many similarities in this life-threatening disease? Company and syndicate now rule the world; is it the reason that the same rejected insecticide is dominating both countries? The report of Kishore Tiwari from Maharashtra has pointed fingers at it.

There is always a lack of applied research on the cause of the effect of the occupational disease in Bangladesh. Whether farmers suffering from cancer have any class-division or there is any similarity or difference in their agricultural practice - no one can say anything for sure due to lack of research. Responding to a request from a farmer, Jarnail Singh, of Punjab, an effort has been made to find out the cause of the effect. Researchers of India’s Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research of Medical Education began investigating the matter in 2018. They found that the prevalence of cancer among farmers is more in the areas where farmers tend to use excessive insecticide. Jarnail Singh also thought the same. Seven of his family members were diagnosed with cancer with three dying of it.

The World Food Programme and World Health Organisation, in various researches, have expressed concern over not registering agricultural chemicals properly in various countries, not using chemicals within the limit, inadequacy of and reluctance to personal protection during the use of pesticide, not formulating certain national guidelines in light with international policy, lack of monitoring, not having national level laboratories and capacity and other issues.

Research lacks neither the necessity nor the interest. Yet, no one is concerned over the interest and the health of the farmers. Farmers are only the means of increasing production. It seems their breath and lives are not something to consider about.

Farmers in India's Maharashtra become united and dared to raise a voice against the pesticide companies. The government of Maharashtra formed an investigation committee promising assistance of Rs 200,000 for each family in 2018 in the wake of farmers’ demand. After investigation found the allegation to be true, the head of the committee, Kishore Tiwari, said these deaths of farmers are, in fact, genocide. He blamed the state and a specialised multinational company for it.

While investigating, the team of Kishore Tewari found that the pesticide that was sprayed on crops and said to be the cause of the farmers' death was very toxic and banned. A heavy protective measure is required to spray it. The investigation committee questioned how did the production of the banned pesticide happen? Why was the United Nations guideline not followed during production?

The farmers of Bangladesh don’t have such luck. If farmers die, no one becomes self-motivated here. Farmers save their complaints for the creator like the Syrian children.

Insecticide companies started their operation calling the farmers of Bangladesh a fool. They pasted posters, hung banners and billboards inscribing “insects eat fools’ crops.” Radio and documentary broadcast the same message everywhere – "He farmer, you are a fool. I am ingenious so I sell a pesticide. You can be an ingenious overnight too if you purchase this pesticide and that insecticide etc." Then farmers tended to use of insecticides. But it seems the use of toxicants exceeds the limit now.

Over 50,000 tonnes of insecticides are imported in Bangladesh every year. Several tests have found the excessive use of insecticide on crops and their residues in vegetables, being sold at market. A 2016 test, run by the Public Health Institute’s National Food Safety Laboratory, found that the amount of toxin in winter cabbage is 36 times higher than that of the tolerable level for the human body.

Like before, antibiotic is not functioning in the human body due to excessive use of the toxin. A higher level of toxins is also being required to save crops. Cultivation of vegetables turns profitable now. Many people produce vegetables throughout the year. They are growing flowers; tobacco cultivation is spreading here and there. And the demand for insecticide is increasing too.

Another reason for the rising demand of insecticides in Bangladesh is very clear and that involves land management. Very few landowners cultivate their lands now. Landowners now live in the city or abroad. Sharecropping system has turned into a folktale now. At present, landowners take annual lease money in advance at the beginning of the year. Farmers remain uncertain whether they would get the land next year. Maybe, the landowner will lease it to a brick kiln owner next year and the the topsoil will be used to make bricks.

Farmers know that frequent use of toxins reduces fertility of soil. Farmer Rashid Boyati from Ghatail said they are left with no alternative. Previously, the landowner and sharecropper would share crops, profit, and loss. They would consider first what is good and harmful for land. Taking it into consideration, landowners and farmers together used to fix the cultivation method. Both would consider that land faces no damage.

But what happens now? Rashid Boyati said, “I myself use almost double (amount of) pesticide and fertiliser than required in an effort to produce crops as much as I can.”

All these are affecting both land and farmers in two ways. No one will get rid of the trap of toxin unless the receiving of lease money in advance by landowners is stopped and annulment of power to cancel the tenancy verbally. However, that’s a matter of policy in the agriculture sector. But who will toll the bell?

* Gowhar Nayeem Wahra is a researcher and can be contacted at [email protected]

This article appeared in the print and the online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Hasanul Banna