M. Aman Ullah, Cox’s Bazar
To counter climate change, emphasis is being put on increasing the capacities of farmers in the three-day Asia-A-leak assembly. On 23rd August, a conference was organized by Coast Trust and Bangladesh Farmers Forum at a posh hotel of Cox’s Bazar. About 30 peasant leaders from Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and India participated in this conference. At the time, Joint Secretary of Water Resources Ministry Kazi Sakhawat Hossain, deputy director of the Department of Agriculture Extension Zakia Begum, General Secretary of Asian Farmers Association Esther Penunia, La via Campaigner’s representative Jainal Arefin Phoyat were present. Speakers said that due to climate change, agriculture faces risk; therefore more effective investment is needed to increase the peasant’s ability to face climate change. Farmers’ control over seeds is essential for the sustainable food security. The organizing committee informed that the assembly will be concluded today.