Every urban household should try to grow vegetables at their rooftop kitchen gardens to ensure supply of pesticide-free, safe vegetables.
This was the simple suggestion given by GS Kaushal, former Director of Agriculture during his lecture delivered at the Workshop on Safe, more sustaibale food for all organised on Monday by National Centre for Human Settlements and Environment (NCHSE) in partnership with Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) under the Green Action Week Programme supported by Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
The Objective of this workshop was to highlight the problems associated with the irresponsible use of pesticides in farming and to drive consumer awareness and demand for food that is organically produced, using farming methods without chemical pesticides. Today being the World Food Day, the event has greater meaning to promote safer food.
Kasual pointed out that now a day’s farmers using excessive chemicals, especially pesticides and marketing the products before the minimum time prescribed for consumption. Therefore the consumers being unaware of the presence of pesticides in the food items becoming prey to diseases like cancer. He advised on how the alternative of synthetic pesticides could be made at home using cow dung and cow urine. Through a documentary he showed the way any urban household having some space in their roof top can grow organic food for themselves.
Former Chief Secretary and Chairperson of NCHSE Nirmala Buch said that it is good for a small family to grow their organic vegetable. But for a large family there could be some problems. She said that cow urine may not be easily available to all. The neem oil could be an alternative. But one should try and must have organic way of growing at least the vegetables at home.