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Environmental Impacts of Technological Change in Bangladesh Agriculture: Farmers’ Perception and Empirical Evidence

Dr. Sanzidur Rahman
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Mail Box: 136 Post-Doctoral Fellow School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) P.O. Box: 4, Klongluang Pathumthani – 12120, THAILAND

Dr. Gopal B. Thapa Associate Professor
Mail Box: 136 Post-Doctoral Fellow School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) P.O. Box: 4, Klongluang Pathumthani – 12120, THAILAND

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Concern on the environmental impacts of technological change in agriculture and studies exploring farmers’ perception of this issue are nascent. The present paper provides an insight on environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology as perceived by Bangladeshi farmers, which are then supported by material evidence, such as, soil fertility and time-series analyses of fertilizer and pesticide use, foodgrain production, and fish catch. Farmers are well aware of the adverse environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology although their awareness remains confined within visible impacts closely related to livelihood sources, such as ‘soil fertility, ‘fish catch’ and ‘health effects’, also supported by empirical evidence. The strength of farmers’ perception is weak for intangible impacts, such as ‘toxicity’ in water and soils. Raising farmers’ awareness of tangible and intangible environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology is urgently needed for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Keywords: Environmental impacts, Modern agricultural technology, Soil fertility, Time-series analyses, Fertilizer use, Pesticide use, Foodgrain production, Fish catch.

Location: Jamalpur Sadar sub-district of Jamalpur, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-02-1997

End Date: 00-04-1997

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Non-commodity: Climate change

Objectives:

To provides an insight on environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology as perceived by Bangladeshi farmers, which are then supported by material evidence, such as, soil fertility and time-series analyses of fertilizer and pesticide use, foodgrain production, and fish catch.

Methodology:

Primary data for the study pertains to an intensive farm survey conducted during February to April 1997 in three agro-ecological regions of Bangladesh. Samples from eight villages of Jamalpur Sadar subdistrict of Jamalpur representing wet agroecology, six villages of Manirampur subdistrict of Jessore, representing dry agroecology, and seven villages of Matlab subdistrict of Chandpur, representing wet agroecology and agriculturally developed area were collected. A total of 406 farm households were selected for data collection following a multistage stratified random sampling procedure. Farmers’ perception on the environmental impacts of technological change is elicited in two steps. First, a set of 12 specific environmental impacts is read to the respondents. The selection of these indicators is based on the Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the farmers conducted during the pre-testing of the structured questionnaire. Farmers were asked to reveal their opinion on these impacts. Respondents confirming statements were are asked to provide weights on a five-point scale. And for disagreement of these impacts, a zero weight was enumerated. It is believed that undergoing these two-step procedures helped in avoiding leading statements and loaded responses10. The status of soil fertility of the study area was determined through detailed bio-physicochemical analysis of a total of 15 composite soil samples (5 from each agro-ecological region) of crop fields selected randomly from within the sampled households. A total of 8 properties – soil reaction (pH); available nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), available potassium (K), available sulphur (S), and available zinc (Zn); organic matter content (OM), and textural class were analyzed.

Source of Information: In Outlook on Agriculture, December 1999

Article Link (Online Journal): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264932922

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Results revealed that farmers are well aware of the adverse environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology. However, their awareness level remains confined within the visible impacts that are most closely related to their farm field and sources of livelihood, reflected in their ranking of ‘decline in soil fertility, ‘effect on human health’ and ‘reduction in fish catch in open water bodies’ as the three major impacts. The soil test results as well as time-trend analyses of relevant indicators rendered support and validated farmers’ perceptions. However, the strength of farmers’ perception ranking declines sharply as one moves from visible and direct impacts to intangible and indirect impacts. For example, knowledge on ‘contamination of water source’, ‘increase in toxicity in soil and water’ are highly limited. Therefore, raising awareness on both tangible and intangible environmental impacts of technological change in agriculture at the farm level is needed. Also, knowledge on the widespread arsenic contamination in groundwater and surface soil is highly limited. Not only the farmers are unaware of this contamination, but also the entire society at large. As such, there is an urgent need to undertake mass awareness-raising activities as well as research in areas that can contain the unwanted and undesired impacts of technological change in agriculture in order to achieve the goal of sustainable agricultural development in Bangladesh. Farmers’ awareness of direct environmental impacts of the ‘Green Revolution’ technology forms the basis of the implementation of a comprehensive agricultural development 12 strategy conducive to maintain or even increase agricultural production without polluting land and water resources. In this pursuit, emphasis should be laid on cropping diversification³², balanced application of chemical and organic fertilizers and efficient utilization of water resources. Results revealed that farmers are well aware of the adverse environmental impacts of modern agricultural technology. However, their awareness level remains confined within the visible impacts that are most closely related to their farm field and sources of livelihood, reflected in their ranking of ‘decline in soil fertility, ‘effect on human health’ and ‘reduction in fish catch in open water bodies’ as the three major impacts. The soil test results as well as time-trend analyses of relevant indicators rendered support and validated farmers’ perceptions. However, the strength of farmers’ perception ranking declines sharply as one moves from visible and direct impacts to intangible and indirect impacts. For example, knowledge on ‘contamination of water source’, ‘increase in toxicity in soil and water’ are highly limited. Therefore, raising awareness on both tangible and intangible environmental impacts of technological change in agriculture at the farm level is needed. Also, knowledge on the widespread arsenic contamination in groundwater and surface soil is highly limited. Not only the farmers are unaware of this contamination, but also the entire society at large. As such, there is an urgent need to undertake mass awareness-raising activities as well as research in areas that can contain the unwanted and undesired impacts of technological change in agriculture in order to achieve the goal of sustainable agricultural development in Bangladesh. Farmers’ awareness of direct environmental impacts of the ‘Green Revolution’ technology forms the basis of the implementation of a comprehensive agricultural development 12 strategy conducive to maintain or even increase agricultural production without polluting land and water resources. In this pursuit, emphasis should be laid on cropping diversification³², balanced application of chemical and organic fertilizers and efficient utilization of water resources.

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