CAP participates in Green Action Week: Towards a Toxic-Free Future: Organic Food and Farming for All

Speech by Mr. S.M. Mohamed Idris, 10 October 2015

The Consumers’ Association of Penang is participating in the Green Action Week along with 40 civil society organisations in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. The Green Action Week is a global campaign to promote sustainable consumption.

Each year in October, organisations around the world take joint action to promote a common cause. “Organic food and farming for all” is the campaign focus for the Green Action Week 2013-2016. Sustainable production requires sustainable consumption. If you eat more organic – producers will produce more organic!

In Malaysia, the promotion of agriculture that is based on intensive monoculture and high agrochemical inputs has raised serious concerns of loss of agro-biodiversity, deterioration of soil and water quality, chemical residues in food crops and health risks to consumers and farm workers.

In response to such adverse impacts, CAP’s proposed solution is chemical-free farming which would deliver substantial increases in food production at lower costs and consequences, without causing harm to the environment or threatening public health. Chemical-free urban farming will also ensure food security and safety.

In conjunction of the Green Action Week, CAP is holding a fair to promote organic food and farming involving consumers, farmers, women, students and community groups.  Organic vegetables, fruits and food are sold here by CAP’s contacts and past trainees.

We are also conducting training for farmers with the collaboration of the Agriculture Department of Penang, demonstrating composting methods, preparation of natural pest repellents and growth promoters.  Saplings of neem, castor will be distributed to farmers to grow as border crops to repel pests.

In addition, we have starter-kits comprising pots, guidebooks, seeds, herb saplings, soil, vermi-compost, pest repellent, growth promoters and vertical kits for the urban farming – grow your own food campaign.

We hope that the Malaysian government will give more support to urban and chemical-free farming activities and mainstream these sustainable agriculture methods to achieve the full potential of organic local food systems.

Join us in our campaign  “Towards a Toxic-Free Future: Organic Food and Farming for All”