The Ministry of Agriculture has endorsed the nomination of “Floating Garden Agriculture Practices”, as the first candidate from Bangladesh to FAO’s global partnership initiative on conservation and adaptive management of ‘Globally-Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS)’ at a meeting on 28 January 2015.

The benefits of nomination are to focus attention on the particular production systems – for research into how to conserve, develop and adapt them. Floating gardens – used for producing vegetables and seedlings in parts of South central Bangladesh – may also become part of regional visits to share local good practices from partner organizations in neighbouring countries, and the nomination is a recognition of the good work being done by the Department of Agricultural Extension in this regard.

In introducing the proposal, Mr. Syed Ali Nasim Khaliluzzaman, Additional Secretary, MoA, praised the FAO initiative to safeguard the indigenous agriculture systems in Bangladesh - nurturing biodiversity, resilient ecosystems and local knowledge, while contributing to address food and livelihood security of the poor.

Mr. Mike Robson, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, described the origin of the concept of GIAHS, in 2002, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Selection criteria are based on contribution to household food security, and food system diversity; conservation of biodiversity and genetic resources; the contribution of indigenous knowledge systems; as well as the cultural and aesthetic values associated with the system. He also pointed out that while many countries struggle with containing aquatic weeds such as water hyacinth, in Bangladesh its abundance has been turned into an opportunity for many years now.

In discussion, it was concluded that there is indeed considerable scope to expand the use of floating garden technology to other areas of seasonally-flooded land, where low cost-low input technologies are needed, such as the haor area. The only provision is that those practicing must understand the need to avoid use of agrochemicals in areas which are environmentally sensitive, and where fish populations may be damaged – hence the need to go for IPM or organic practices in combination with floating garden systems.

More on GIAHS: http://www.fao.org/giahs/en/