AGROECOLOGY FOR ALL
Making Agroecology an Integral Part of the Lives of All Malaysians
Recommendations to the Government from the Consumers’ Association of Penang
Agroecology is indispensable to the growth and well-being of a nation. It creates paths for a holistic life and, in the process, nurtures humankind with the noble values that are vital for sustaining this planet.
The production of food is an intrinsic part of agroecology. Among the major inequities in the food system is the accessibility and affordability of nutritious and healthy foods across the world. Currently, around 26% of the global population experiences moderate to severe levels of food insecurity and lacks regular access to nutritious and healthy food. The latest report by the FAO on the state of global food security and nutrition estimates that healthy diets are unaffordable for more than 3 billion people across all regions of the world, making access to healthy diets a global problem.
Food security and sovereignty can only be achieved by embracing agroecology. Food loaded with nutrients promises a healthy body and a sound mind and plays a significant role in the overall growth and prosperity of a country’s population. On the other hand, food tainted with toxic chemicals and nutrient-depleted processed foods leads to a physically and mentally deprived nation, which eventually adds to the national health costs. Hence, it is the responsibility of all to participate in healthy agroecological practices.
SUSTAINABLE FARMING FOR ALL is the best policy of any country to enhance its food security and sovereignty. It is a policy that guarantees continuous food supplies for its nation, however dire the economic or political situation of the country may be. Making plans, developing strategies and carrying out activities on these fundamentals would bring the desired outcome. The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), with decades of experience in dealing with Malaysian consumers and a deep understanding of their needs, problems, hopes, and aspirations would like to put forward suggestions for making agroecology the core of Malaysians’ lives and to underline the urgent need to revert to agrochemical-free agriculture, which is the very foundation of agroecology.
1. Phasing out agrochemicals
The use of agrochemicals in the form of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, anti-microbials, rodent repellents, and chemical fertilisers on various vegetables, fruits, paddy, and cash crops is rampant in Malaysia. The Pesticides Act 1974 (Act 149) is the principal legislation regulating pesticide use in Malaysia. The Act regulates the labelling, registration, importation, manufacturing, advertising, sale, and storage of pesticides as well as controls the presence of pesticide residues in food and the reporting and investigation of accidents and injuries caused by pesticides. Allowing the use of agrochemicals and controlling their presence in food is indeed a paradox that needs to be seriously addressed. What we need is an agricultural system that is free from agrochemicals. It could be achieved over a period of time if planned and implemented properly. Phasing out agrochemicals and replacing them with natural (non-chemical) growth promoters and pest repellents can be done by formulating the right policy and seeking the help of experts in natural farming. Instead of popularising smart farming ideas like Internet of Things (IoT) that again involve costly devices and make farmers dependent, cost-effective traditional growing methods using organic inputs such as compost, locally sourced growth promoters, plant boosters, and integrated pest management should be introduced to farmers.
2. Policymakers with knowledge of agroecology
The current digital age, with the onslaught of industry and technology, has profoundly changed the lifestyles of Malaysians. The knowledge about the food of the current generation is limited to what is served on the plate and an array of processed foods stacked on supermarket shelves. The origin of food and the role and effort of countless people in its production are beyond the comprehension of many. Agroecology should be a field to be grasped and understood by all. Only then, can we expect to have wise policymakers that formulate the right policies and take the right decisions to ensure their nation is fed with healthy and wholesome food, lives in a pollution-free environment, and, as a result, leads a disease and stress-free life.
3. Learning about farming is compulsory for all
The government should draw up plans to make agroecology compulsory in our education system. Making agroecology part of a syllabus is a feasible way to bring farming within the grasp of all. Every child and youth, at one phase of their lives, should learn the basics of farming, understand its fundamentality, and, above all, respect food. All should know the myriad processes and intricacies involved in food production. This would enable them to become discerning consumers, who could perceive farming and the resultant food production not as mere commodities, but as the core of their lives. Learning and practising farming is one of the best and most effective ways to instill such value among consumers. At the same time, efforts should be directed toward producing quality teachers who can guide and move students in the right direction in this field.
4. Incorporating agroecology into moral subjects in schools is a perfect tool to boost morality
Inculcating agroecological attributes in young minds can be best achieved by incorporating agroecology into moral lessons in schools. At the moment, moral lessons are limited to theory, where reading, mugging, and scoring in an examination are the ultimate aims. Morality is to be moulded and perfected through a course of action over a long period. Natural farming is ideal for this purpose. It encapsulates reviving the land, seeding, planting, watering, caring for plants, harvesting, sharing the produce, and saving the seeds, to name a few. These activities entail analytical, critical, logical, and creative thinking processes and, above all, involve empathy, a value that leads to a caring society. It is a prolonged process that requires students to put in continuous effort in order to see the result. It forces them to leave their comfort zone, shed their apathy and ego, and toil in the soil. On the whole, agroecological activities, particularly natural farming, where diligence, caring, and sharing are placed above profit, are a good means to boost morality. By making farming compulsory in schools, we can proudly emerge as a nation that embraces value-added education.
5. Allocation of funds to run agroecological activities in schools
Agroecology encompasses a wide range of activities, which means the school has the freedom to choose activities according to the suitability of its location, the preferences of teachers and students, the availability of agricultural land, and numerous other factors. Planting, composting, saving seeds, making growth promoters, recycling and similar other activities can all be carried out by schools. Providing funds for such activities will enable the school to implement them effectively.
6. Introducing agroecological studies in higher learning institutions
The introduction of agroecological study faculties in the colleges and universities in Malaysia would generate students who have a holistic understanding of the interaction between plants, animals, and humans, soil, climate, and its relations with the agricultural production system. This will serve as a game changer in incorporating agroecology into the status quo.
7. Compulsory agroecological training for youths and dropouts
A few dropouts might be lucky enough to have a career of their choice. But many of them are uncertain of their future and end up in vices and criminal activities that in turn add to the social cost of the country. Introducing agroecology allows students to discover their own hidden talents. They may choose any agroecological skill as their future career. The Ministry of Agriculture, through such training, can provide options for dropouts to choose from a wide range of agroecological fields to decide on their career path.
8. Security of tenure – land for farmers
Land tenure security refers to the right of individuals and groups of people to effective protection by their government against forcible evictions. Land tenure security for farmers is a crucial part of achieving high agricultural productivity. Such tenure security will open avenues for farmers to broaden their agroecological enterprises to include many more aspects of integrated farming without fear of being evicted from the land. Security of tenancy of land use increases farmers’ confidence and will lead to productive use of lands, which ultimately increases yield. Farmers’ land security ensures food security and diversity.
9. Identifying idle arable land
Malaysia has fertile soil, the right climate and ample rain for vegetation to prosper. Its soil is suitable to cultivate a variety of plants and trees. It is disheartening to see many arable lands in Malaysia left uncultivated. All those idle lands need to be identified, and actions should be intensified to allow and encourage those interested in farming to use the lands. Priority should be given to farmers who have resolved to practise natural, organic, permaculture, animal farming, or any other farming method without agrochemicals.
10. Input from agroecological experts
Incorporating agroecology into our school syllabus can best be implemented with the input of experts from local and other countries that have set good examples in their relevant fields. One fine example of CAP’s experience is Dr. Sultan Ismail, the soil and earthworm expert, who contributed immensely to the introduction of environmental education and farming in schools in Tamil Nadu, India through activities and publications. As a result of his continuous guidance and sharing of knowledge with CAP, many of his methods have been successfully implemented in educational institutions in Malaysia. Similarly, the expertise of luminaries in various agroecological fields can be sought.
11. The agriculture department to promote agrochemical-free farming
As for now, the Department of Agriculture of each state offers land for those interested in farming irrespective of their farming methods. Worse still, farmers receive subsidy of agrochemicals from the agriculture department. Such transgressions are intolerable, against the welfare of Malaysians, and should be eliminated at all costs. These unethical practices are in themselves a hindrance for farmers exploring farming methods without chemicals. CAP’s years of conducting training for farmers showed many farmers are reluctant to take up natural farming merely because they have been pampered with free supplies of pesticides and chemical fertilisers by the agriculture department over a long period. For example, Malaysia’s paddy sector is one of the most subsidised industries within the country wherein paddy farmers receive certified paddy seeds incentive, paddy production incentive, fertiliser and pesticides subsidies, to name a few. As a result of this, profit becomes the utmost priority for most farmers, wherein food safety naturally takes a backseat. Such free supplies of agrochemicals should cease and be replaced with natural farming training and the publication and distribution of educational materials related to good agroecological practices.
12. Promote natural livestock farming and integrated farming
The consumption per capita of poultry meat in Malaysia is predicted to continuously increase by 7.8 kilogrammes per capita (16.97%) within the next few years. Using antibiotics in animals may raise the risk of transmitting drug-resistant bacteria to humans, either by direct infection or by transferring resistance genes from agriculture into human pathogens. With the rising consumption of poultry meat, the possibility of consumers being at risk is also higher. Natural livestock farming not only eliminates the use of antibiotics but also enhances the health of the animals by boosting their immune systems. It provides an opportunity for Malaysians to consume antibiotic-free meat. Together with this, integrated farming methods should be encouraged by the Ministry of Agriculture. Integrated farming produces both crops and animals on one farm, where the animal cast would help plants to prosper while weeds and other vegetation serve as fodder for the livestock, helping farmers to control weeds. The expertise of integrated farmers can be used to lead interested Malaysian farmers.
13. Make organic certification for farmers hassle-free and encouraging
At present, farmers who intend to practise organic farming and advertise and market their products as organic need to get certification from the Department of Agriculture of their relevant state. For this, they had to endure a long and tedious process. Such procedures, instead of encouraging farmers to practise organic farming, make farmers hesitant, owing to the harrowing experience of the previous farmers’ failure to apply for the organic certificate. At the moment, we are not aware of the number of organic farming certificate holders who surreptitiously use various agrochemicals on their farms. In a way, a random spot check without prior notice by the authorities would be the best way to ascertain whether farmers are continuously on the right track. This can be carried out at the district level. Consumers who are suspicious of the authenticity of the organic products they consume should be encouraged to register their complaints with the Agriculture Department.
14. Organic Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) is more Natural Farmer Friendly
For farmers that produce on a large scale where their supply goes throughout the country or their products are meant for export, organic certification by the government is vital to ascertaining the safety of the product and adhering to the world standard. However, for small-scale farmers who produce more for local consumption, the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) is more appropriate and convenient in place of organic certification. PGS was an initiative of IFOAM – Organics International together with some international and local organizations. The rationale behind this is that third-party certification may not be appropriate for small-scale producers only selling in local and domestic markets. The third-party certification scheme is very complex and restrictive, as well as costly because of the requirements for international recognition. The PGS is a verification system to ensure the quality of organic products. This system is based on the active participation of farmers, consumers, rural advisors, and local authorities. All of them together make decisions, visit farms, support each other and check that farmers are producing according to an organic standard. Through PGS, consumers can better understand, value, and demand organic products, while farmers are better equipped with agroecological skills to meet the consumers’ demands.
15. Urban gardening training – the need of the millennium
CAP, through its urban garden projects, has successfully made growing plants part of the urban gardener’s life, particularly for those living in apartments. CAP’s experience showed that urban dwellers live a life completely detached from the soil. But, the very introduction to gardening rekindled their interest and, as a result, many have turned to gardening in their own small way. Through lectures, demonstrations, and guidebooks as references, various methods of composting and growing within a small space have been introduced to the participants. Many gardeners have been successful in their attempts. WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms formed to share gardening tips are useful to keep them learning and experimenting. Gardening is also a healthy diversion for the current generation that is hooked on electronic gadgets.
16. Encouraging the setting of a community garden in all housing estates
Each housing estate and high-rise dwelling should have their own community garden that is to be developed together by its residents. The community garden space can be used for composting, planting, and other greenery projects that suit the interests of the dwellers. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that all future housing development projects include these features and that the residents’ association or management committee strictly abide by the rules. Identifying the best community gardens, appreciating and awarding them would inspire many.
17. Composting and planting are the responsibility of each household
In the future, when developing houses for landed properties, it is recommended to allocate land the size of 10 x 10 feet for each house for composting and planting purposes. The Ministry of Housing and Local Government should ensure that future houses have such stipulations included in the housing laws that are to be adhered to by developers. The space can be used for planting and composting. That way, kitchen and food waste (while simultaneously taking efforts to reduce food waste) can be taken care of by each family, thereby reducing the amount of organic waste that goes for final disposal. Planting can be carried out according to the interests of the household. For those citing lack of time as a reason, perennial plants and plants that require the least care can be good options. The Ministry of Agriculture can contribute its knowledge and resources to the residents. Imposing such a culture slowly will transform Malaysians into ones that care for nature. As a preemptive measure, the residents should also be dissuaded from cementing the allocated land for other purposes.
18. Priority for locals to consume chemical-free vegetables
At present, a large bulk of vegetables that are toxin-free or with the least toxin level are exported mainly to Singapore, whereas the majority of Malaysians consume pesticide-laden vegetables cultivated by local farmers or imported vegetables. This practice of putting Malaysians at a disadvantage must change. Locally produced, chemical-free vegetables should be the prerogative of the locals. The government should work out ways to make this possible for the sake of Malaysians’ health.
19. Promote Customer Support Agriculture (CSA)
With the monopoly of monoculture, consumers are forced to consume almost the same type of vegetable throughout their lives. This will lead to nutrient deficiency in consumers. In Customer Support Agriculture (CSA), farmers have the freedom to plant whatever grows well in the type of soil they have on their farm and according to the season. Educating consumers that one of the best ways of enhancing their health is to eat a variety and to eat whatever is in season would give freedom to farmers to grow variety, practise crop rotation and, in the process, improve soil health. Promoting local markets by linking producers with consumers would be one of the best ways to achieve sustainability and food diversity.
20. Seeds are farmers’ property – encouraging farmers to save their own seeds and alerting them to the dangers of hybrids and GMOs
CAP firmly holds on to its stand that seeds are the property of farmers and consumers, and not corporations. Multinational companies are, in a very subtle way, slowly and stealthily confiscating farmers’ rights to own seeds. Farmers have lost their traditional seeds due to the practise of monoculture. For example, in Malaysia, with the introduction of the subsidy system, farmers could only plant very few types of paddy variety, which meant over the years, they lost their traditional paddy seed varieties (which they had planted before the subsidy and incentive schemes came into existence). Encouraging farmers to plant their traditional paddy varieties and other vegetables and plants, popularising those varieties and finding a market should be the right course of action in reviving the traditional seeds. Steps should also be taken to enhance farmers’ knowledge about the impacts of current hybrid and GMO seeds that are tainted with life-threatening chemicals. Farmers should be exposed to and guided through the different seed-saving methods. Research on reviving traditional seeds and replanting them widely is a real necessity for a stronger nation and hence, funds should be allocated for these initiatives.
21. Malaysia must not join UPOV 1991
Malaysian farmers are always under threat of being impacted by free trade agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The Malaysian government has been under increasing pressure to join the 1991 version of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (known as UPOV 1991). Studies have shown that UPOV 1991 adversely affects farmers who are dependent on farmer-managed seed systems (the informal seed sector) and their customary practices of freely saving, using, exchanging, and selling farm-saved seeds. In the case of Malaysia, small farmers and indigenous communities, who have important local seed varieties may be affected. Hence, actions should be stepped up to prevent Malaysia from joining UPOV1991 as it favours industrial seed development and use. Flourishing and resilient farmer’s seed systems are key to the full realisation of the rights to life and to food. Malaysia’s seed policies must guarantee the collective rights of farmers, indigenous people, and local communities to use, exchange, breed, select, and sell their own seeds.
22. Uphold farmers seeds system to save our heirloom seeds, to respect and protect Malaysian traditional farmers, and to conserve food diversity
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) had been seriously considering the tabling of the Plant Seed Quality Bill in Parliament. The Seed Quality Bill will require every individual (farmer or non-farmer) to apply for a license to process seeds that are categorized as “controlled seeds”. If it takes place, the processing of all crop seeds are at risk of being controlled by the law. This proposed law may essentially prohibit the practice of saving, exchanging, and selling of seeds by farmers, which has been a common and traditional practice for farmers in Malaysia for ages. Farmers’ right to seeds will be denied in favour of commercial seed producers. This further serves as a boost for monoculture practices in the agricultural sector. As a result of this, seed varieties used by traditional farmers will gradually decrease, thus destroying biological diversity in general and thereby risking the country’s food production. MAFI once and for all should withdraw the tabling of the Plant Seed Quality Bill in order to respect and safeguard Malaysian traditional farmers and to preserve food diversity.
23. Hoteliers should take responsibility for composting their own food waste
According to statistics, Malaysians generate 16,000 tonnes of food waste per day. Hotels are one of the industries that contribute to this. Hotels should take responsibility for the food waste they create. They should have their own composting or biogas unit. Adopting the proper composting method, such as the black soldier fly, would aid in the composting of large amounts of waste in a shorter period of time. This reduces the transportation cost of food waste, which would reduce the carbon footprint. Ensuring giant food industries commit to reducing their food waste, composting kitchen waste and farming must be part of government policies. In the future, this could be extended to other industries as well.
24. Promote plant-based protein as a substitute for animal protein
Vast swathes of forest, grasslands, and wetlands are cleared to provide land for grazing and growing animal feed crops. Clearing land to graze farmed animals accounts for roughly 40% of all deforestation. Tropical deforestation and forest clearing have adverse consequences that contribute to climate change, biodiversity loss, reduced timber supply, flooding and soil degradation. Reducing meat consumption and promoting alternative proteins should be part of the country’s policy. We can help protect forests by choosing more sustainable eating habits and switching to a plant-based diet. The Health Ministry should include and introduce this aspect in all its healthy eating campaigns. Our ancestors consumed a variety of pulses, legumes, and nuts rich in protein in the past. The abundant health benefits of plant-based protein should be popularised among Malaysians. The increasing demand for plant protein will lead to increased cultivation of the relevant crops, all of which again would herald good agroecological practices.
25. Form a think tank group to propagate healthy agroecological practices
Forming a group of think tanks on natural farming and other relevant agroecological practices and formulating a plan to pass down natural farming methods would be the right move for the agriculture department to espouse the cause of natural farming. We should solicit advice and views from the organisations that practise and propagate natural farming and the individuals that have contributed to research and activities towards that.
26. Increasing the role of the Ministry of Agriculture
The purview of the Ministry of Agriculture should be extended to all aspects of agroecology because farming must always take into account other agroecological traits as well. That way, a lot more agroecological issues can be addressed and can be included at the policy level to enhance and enrich the lives of Malaysians.
27. Introduce and encourage any activities that focus on reviving the soil, water and air
When contamination of the three elements, namely soil, water, and air, reaches an irreparable level, our life will deteriorate, and slowly, the living things on the planet will perish. The Malaysian government should include and incorporate into its policies short and long-term plans, projects, and activities that contribute to the revival of the above entities. Above all, any projects undertaken by the government should not put these three elements in jeopardy.
Conclusion
Development and agriculture projects that do not take into account agroecology will have devastating effects on the environment. This will adversely impact the nation’s overall health and wealth. The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) hopes that the above recommendations are taken seriously, their relevance studied, and followed by the right action plans and execution. Healthy agroecological practices add further strength to the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 to make Malaysia a nation that achieves sustainable growth along with fair and equitable distribution across income groups, ethnicities, regions, and supply chains.