Asia
From pesticide managers to climate campaigners, farmers and more; these five influencers from Asia are working to create a more sustainable future.
Eric Jhon Cruz
Head of Pesticide Management Division, National Crop Protection Center
Filipino
Can you tell us about your research and some of your findings?
My research led to being able to successfully produce activated carbon from food waste—specifically banana peels and pineapple peels. I was able to demonstrate that the activated carbon produce is effective in the removal of a particular pesticide. When the pesticide is absorbed into carbon, it is more environmentally safe.
This research would not be possible without the exemplary leadership role of the University of Ghent and the IUPAC program, from which I received funding.
What is your background and how did you get involved in this area of plant science?
My interest in plant science started way back in 2008 when I was a part-time student assistant at the Pesticide Management Division of the National Crop Protection Center.
What misconceptions about pesticides are circulating in the Philippines?
Some people in the Philippines think that any trace amount of pesticides present in our food will automatically lead to harm or potential diseases. This isn’t true. What is important is the acceptable daily intake. It really depends on the concentrations.
What does ‘sustainable agriculture’ mean to you?
To me, sustainable agriculture is an integrated system where we grow crops and livestock using different approaches so that we can produce quality, safe and affordable food. And in so doing, we will be able to meet our current needs without compromising the needs of the future generations.
The next 25 years will be critical to save the planet from climate change. What advancements do you anticipate seeing in the next 25 years?
While the future is hard to predict, we will probably see key advancements in nanotechnology, sensor-based chemical analysis, green chemistry and the development of a new generation of crop protection products.
I think this will really impact our society, specifically by strengthening food safety and food security and by stabilizing the price of agricultural produce and our society’s overall health and nutrition status as a result of these potential breakthroughs. We will have enough food to feed our planet, and this food will be high quality, safe and affordable.
Do you have any advice or wisdom you’d like to share with youth considering higher education in agricultural chemistry?
No matter what you decide to study or concentrate on, be ready to unlearn, learn and relearn.
Read more about Eric Jhon Cruz’s views on the CropLife website.
Marinel Ubaldo
Climate Campaigner
Filipino
Was there a defining moment in your life that made you decide to advocate on the climate crisis?
I was a youth facilitator that visited remote communities and schools to talk about the cause and effects of climate change, and what we can do as a community to mitigate the effects. But when Typhoon Haiyan ravaged the Philippines in 2013, I realized that the future effects of climate change I was talking about were already happening right now. We never experienced anything like that before. My father is 59 years old and it was the first time he experienced that kind of monstrous typhoon.
Our family had no food, no water, no secure shelter. It was the lowest and most vulnerable part of my life, but I couldn’t just stop and mourn for what was lost. I had to make my story and experience something to share with people, so they could know that climate change is happening now, and lives are already being lost because of it.
How prepared are the Philippines now for the effects of climate change? What could the government do to better prepare farmers?
I don’t think the Philippines are prepared for what will be coming. Even seven years after Typhoon Haiyan, a lot of people are still displaced, and houses are still being rebuilt. We are experiencing an average of 20 typhoons a year now, and super typhoons are becoming more and more common.
Farmers don’t know what to plant anymore because of the very unpredictable weather affecting yields each year. They already don’t have much support from the government now in adapting to this.
The first thing the government should do is educate farmers and give them technical support for planting crops and planning harvests. We need to make the role of farming and growing our own food mainstream.
How active are the youth in the Philippines in the fight against climate change?
Youth are becoming more aware and getting more involved in this movement. They are now owning the issue, because we know our generation will be at stake in the future if we don’t address climate change now. A lot of organizations are actually giving the youth platforms to speak. Youth are leading some movements, but we need adults to back us up, give guidance and assure us that we are on the right track. These actions give youth more opportunities to join the movement.
Your advocacy brought you to testify for the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines on climate change. Can you tell us a little about what led you to this and what happened afterwards?
I was just one of the many petitioners involved in this. I was really eager to be one of the petitioners because I realized it would be one of the bravest decisions of my life. At first, I was so scared, because after I testified, I received threats. But if I chose to stop there out of fear of these threats, then they win.
And although we did win this fight, I felt that we were not really listened to. In the next couple years, I want to continue advocacy, share stories everywhere—especially in developed countries—and have our voices not just heard, but listened to.
What do you see for the future regarding climate advocacy?
Seeing the IPCC reports and seeing government leaders do little to address the crisis is disheartening, but the growing youth advocacy is very motivating. Seeing youth going out, missing school, sometimes risking our safety to demand justice gives me great hope.
This crisis will affect the whole world, if it’s not already affecting your country. That is why we need to get involved everywhere.
Masum Hossain
Founder, Kal_Agro
Bangladeshi
You’ve founded two organizations, Kal_Agro and BioBangla. What are the goals of these organizations?
The goal of Kal_Agro is to connect small agricultural entrepreneurs, encourage collaboration and help each other reach scale.
BioBangla is a startup that works to promote biological sciences among underprivileged youth. We train them to perform basic molecular biology and microbiology experiments so that they can be prepared for a potential career in this field.
What made you decide to found these startups?
In the summer of 2017, I traveled around Bangladesh and found that there were limited opportunities for life-science students to get experience in the field. I realized I knew no one with a life-science background in my country, so I started working to create opportunities for students to connect with different scientists and researchers. This eventually morphed into BioBangla.
Two years later I started to work on the agriculture sector. When I see the local farmers in my country, they work all day long and still can’t change their lives. That encouraged me to work to better farmers’ lives and give them opportunities to succeed through Kal_Agro.
How could climate change affect Bangladesh, and what is being done to mitigate the impacts of climate change?
Bangladesh has adopted policies to address climate change and has invested heavily in adaption measures. Many NGOs and donors established a Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for Climate Change in Bangladesh to assist the government in implementing their strategy and channel climate change assistance in a more synchronized way.
But Bangladesh is considered one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Rising temperatures are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of cyclones and heavy flooding. The impact of climate change on people's livelihood can be devastating, especially in light of Bangladesh’s high population density.
How can advances in agricultural technology and innovation play a role in mitigating the effects of climate change?
Automation, genetic engineering and biotechnology have a lot of potential to solve all these existing problems. Through research, we will be able to come up with much better approaches to the problems we face today.
What does ‘sustainable agriculture’ mean to you?
The term sustainable agriculture refers to an integrated system of plant and animal production practices that, over the long term, provide food for people, enhance the environment and make efficient use of resources.
What advances or changes in agriculture do you see in the next 25 years?
Within 25 years, I believe we will engineer crops that will provide added nutritional value. For example, if we eat just 200 grams of rice or another crop food, that will have the nutritional and caloric value of two kilograms of today’s food. Genome editing technology and synthetic biology will play a great role in this.
Ahmed Imran Halimi
CEO & Co-Founder, Greeniculture
Bangladeshi
What are the key goals of your work with Greeniculture?
Greeniculture is an urban farming service and e-commerce solution for endogenous varieties, food and other agro-based products, all collected from farmers and shared with city dwellers. I am living in Dhaka, one of the most polluted cities in the world. My two fellow co-founders and I started Greeniculture to help this city with our technical knowledge of agriculture. We aim to set up 2,000 rooftop projects within the next five years and hope to secure at least 100,000 recurring e-commerce consumers.
Was there a defining moment in your life that made you decide to explore a career in agriculture economics?
Bangladesh is one of the major agricultural producers in the world. I wanted to use the knowledge I gained from my higher education in agriculture to contribute to my community. As I analyzed the unstable nature of the agricultural market in Bangladesh, I came to understand that agriculture is a livelihood for Bangladesh’s massive population and helps to reduce poverty.
What does 'sustainable agriculture' mean to you?
Sustainable agriculture entails practices that use natural inputs to produce food while preserving the environment. It improves the quality of life of farmers and society as a whole.
What efforts are being done in your region to address climate change? What role does the local agriculture industry playing?
The agriculture industry is playing a vital role in fighting climate change. Climate change increases the risk of food security issues. Some agrotech companies are working to mitigate sudden weather changes by leveraging precision agriculture and big data analysis. These tools will help the farmers to get real-time data and make more informed decisions.
What innovations and breakthroughs in urban farming and e-commerce do you expect to see in the next 25 years?
The urban farming scene has dramatically changed due to increasing awareness of food security and climate issues. Bangladesh is a lower-middle-income country with exponential GDP growth. Our adaptation to modern technology is increasing as most urban farmers are educated and highly concerned about food security and advanced farming technology.
After 25 years, urban farming practices will become vital because they require less land, water and energy resources. "One roof, one farm" will be a very common phrase then.
Umut Akbay
Farmer
Turkish
Can you tell us about your work in agriculture in Turkey?
I come from a family that has been dealing with agriculture and animal husbandry (breeding) since the 1900s. My grandfather was a traditional farmer. In his generation, food production in my country was not sustainable. As I started my career, I knew we needed to shift away from traditional methods of agriculture to be more environmental conscious and to improve our yields.
How did you get your start?
I got on a tractor for the first time in 2002. Nature is miraculous and, from that day on, I considered myself a farmer.
What are some important issues regarding food security in Turkey?
Unregistered food production, traceability and difficulties in changing the established consumption and sales habits are major threats to food security in Turkey.
Traceability in the food industry is very important in order to increase consumer confidence and ensure access to safe foods. A food science board has been established in my country to deal with this issue.
Institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Agriculture have provided farmers with training on food safety and promoted a zero-waste project. These projects related to clean food should become more widespread.
What does ‘sustainable agriculture’ mean to you?
Agriculture is the starting point of the food chain. Sustainable agriculture involves systems and practices that will improve the production of sufficient, quality food at affordable costs while protecting natural and human resources.
What advancements or breakthroughs do you anticipate in next 25 years?
Further technological developments will help the younger generation become more interested in agriculture as careers in agriculture will require less physical energy and will have better working conditions.
In the next 25 years, the integration of agriculture with technology will help farmers achieve more efficient production while reducing the impact of climate change. Smart agricultural practices will also be aimed at protecting the natural ecosystem, rather than only benefiting the economic interests of the countries.
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