By Parboti Rani Singh, from Netrakona
With the theme “Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave No One Behind”, World Food Day 2025 was observed in Netrakona recently through various awareness and learning activities. The event was celebrated at the Kailati Agroecology Learning Centre in Netrakona Sadar Upazila and at Durga Ashram Government Primary School in Atpara Upazila.
Students and community members took part in discussions, wall magazine creation featuring names of safe and preferred foods, fruits, and uncultivated plants, as well as seed and safe vegetable exchanges. The celebration emphasized that food is not only a basic necessity for survival but also deeply connected to people’s environment, choices, and culture.
During the discussion, head Teacher Nazmun Nahar highlighted the importance of safe, poison-free food saying, “To build a healthy and beautiful future, we must all come forward to raise public awareness about the importance of toxin-free food.”
At the Agroecology Learning Centre, participants exchanged six varieties of vegetable seeds and five types of safe vegetables, promoting food diversity and sustainability. Speakers also reflected on the consequences of modern consumerism and dependency on chemical farming, stating, “Our disconnection from nature and indulgence in a consumer-driven lifestyle have exposed us to the deadly effects of pesticides. This harms human health and isolates us from our culture, biodiversity, and values. Such trends are leading to environmental degradation and moral decline which poses a serious threat to human existence.”
The observance of World Food Day in Netrakona thus served as a reminder of the urgent need to return to ecological balance, promote safe food production, and nurture the bond between people, nature, and culture.
