Excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides has become a threat: Food Adviser
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Food and Land Adviser Ali Imam Majumder on Monday said the excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides to boost crop production has become a serious threat to food safety.
He said artificial fertilisers and pesticides were not used in agriculture in the past. Later, agricultural officials encouraged farmers to use them by visiting households, as food production needed to be increased at the time.
“Since then, the use of fertilisers and pesticides has increased excessively. As a result, safe food has declined, and birds, animals and fish are being destroyed,” he said.
The adviser also questioned the use of hormones and other methods to increase fish production, particularly in pangas farming. “Food production must increase, but food safety must also be ensured,” he added.
He made the remarks at a discussion organised on the occasion of National Safe Food Day 2026 on Monday.
The programme was organised by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) auditorium in the capital.
Ali Imam Majumder said food demand is rising, along with the challenges associated with ensuring food safety.
He said new diseases are emerging and these challenges must be addressed to move forward.
He stressed the need for coordinated efforts among all relevant sectors to ensure food safety, noting that ensuring both food production and food safety is now a shared responsibility.
The state is increasingly bearing the responsibility of providing food for both people and animals, he said.
“We are using technology to increase production and importing food as well. Sometimes, even food imports pose risks,” he added.
National Safe Food Day is observed every year on February 2. This year’s theme is: ‘Ensure Safe Food, Build a Healthy Life.’
Food Secretary Firoz Sarker presided over the event, while Agriculture Secretary Dr Md Emdad Ullah Mian and BFSA Chairman Md Zakaria also spoke.
Dr Md Emdad Ullah Mian said producers often do not consider what others are consuming.
“Even if we ensure safe food for ourselves, ignoring others makes the entire process unsafe,” he said.
He stressed the need for joint efforts among the Ministry of Agriculture, BFSA, BSTI and other agencies.
He also said attention must be given to three levels of food production—international GAP, local GAP and general food production—otherwise the country will face serious challenges.
Firoz Sarker said food safety requires not only availability but also quality.
He noted that one in ten people worldwide fall ill due to food-related causes and urged everyone—from farmers to consumers—to be more aware.
He cited Thailand’s union-level initiatives to ensure safe food and healthcare for children, which helped the country achieve 30 per cent progress, and said Bangladesh needs a similar coordinated action plan.