Promoting the Organic Movement in Bangladesh

Indilisi catches up with sustainability leader, Amzad Hossain, on a recent trip to Bangladesh.


Amzad Hossain

→ What is Sonapahar Farm House resort & what are its aims?

Sonapahar is a small farmstay resort on 6 acres of land, some 70 km from Chittagong,
the main port city of Bangladesh. Half of the area is wetland, and the rest is a garden with around 260 plant species. The area was severely damaged by deforestation and hill cutting carried out by brick manufacturing businesses.

The establishment consists of two eco cottages surrounded by a newly planted Miyawaki
Forest, one pool villa, and a farm-side restaurant. It can accommodate 18 guests overnight and serve 100 day visitors. There are some natural attractions in the neighbouring areas, i.e. hills, beaches, waterfalls and a lake.

The project came into being with the objective of rewilding the rapidly depleting hilly green forest of the area due to population growth. The other aim of the project is to create a functioning model of a traditional, rural homestead in this part of the world.

About 100 years ago, typical rural households were self-sufficient in producing food and other essentials for life. We strongly discourage the use of plastic and promote healthy soil, clean water and green energy.

→ How did you start your journey into sustainability, and why?

Humans are the cleverest of animals, but we have already taken too much from nature, making it unsustainable for all species. As a prodigal child of nature, we have gone too far to find our way back to correction. 

The journey is a return to creating a safe home planet, and Sonapahar Farm House is a model that brings people together to be inspired by nature, to learn new ways of thinking and skills, and to rest.


→ How did you create and finance Sonapahar Farm House? I understand that it’s partly funded by your company.

I love to call Sonapahar, a Nature partner of our main enterprise, which is a fish-processing business. We make fishmeal from the bycatch of marine fishing at Chittagong Fish Harbour.

Karnafuly Fishmeal Limited (KFL), established in 2014, is a private company dedicated to sustainable fishmeal for feed millers in Bangladesh. It produces eco-friendly marine ingredients from fishery by-catch and waste, supporting environmental sustainability.  The fish habitat in the Bay of Bengal is affected by the regional ecosystem. 

Therefore, we invest in reforestation activities to help restore the ecology of the region. We use and exploit countless blessings of nature while conducting our lives on Earth. Sonapahar is just a small effort to give a little something back to Mother Nature. The project is funded by me and another sponsor.


→ How is Bangladesh experiencing climate change and what is your project doing to address this? 

Bangladesh is already one of the worst victims of climate change. Displacement, crop loss, and saltwater in farmland. The rise in sea level has resulted in the displacement of many people in coastal areas. In recent years, the weather has been behaving out of its normal pattern, and we are seeing cyclones more often than before, causing loss of lives, crops and other properties.



→ What measures did you take to promote biodiversity and regenerate the local area?

We believe that reforestation is a major promoters of biodiversity. Hence, we not only run local planting campaigns but also organise and lead a planting festival every monsoon. So far, we have restored about a dozen rare, native plant species in our garden. 

At present, we do not have any tools or mechanisms to measure changes in our biodiversity. However, we have seen more birds, butterflies, chipmunks, and fireflies in our garden. Even a Fishing Cat, which is very rare to find nowadays, has been sighted. Strikingly, in hot summers, temperatures in our project area feel 2/3 degrees lower than outside.


→ Who visits, and what educational activities do you offer?

We welcome a wide range of visitors, including students from schools, colleges and universities, families on holiday, day-out groups, etc. The main educational takeaway that Sonapahar can offer is the value of planting. We want our visitors to realise the benefits of planting, the predicaments of deforestation, and how more plants can make our planet more habitable.



→ Please share some examples of the crafts used to build the farm?

We have made extensive use of bamboo crafts in building the houses. Instead of buying
factory-made furniture, we made our own using eco-friendly materials such as recycled
wood and iron.


→ Is the food you serve organic and local? Veggie? What are the challenges that you face and how are you responding to them?

Some of the food items we serve here come from our farm or garden, and you can say
they are organic since we do not use any chemical fertilisers or insecticides. We are seeking to engage the local community in contract farming for organic vegetables. The main challenge is dissuading farmers from using hybrid seeds and preventing the use of insecticides and chemical fertilisers.

→ What are the next projects and dreams for Sonapahar?

I want Sonapahar to be a living example of the eternal and inseparable bond between
nature and human society. We are bringing together business and civil society to drive
change. We have a network promoting organic farming in Bangladesh, which falls under
the umbrella of climate, social and ecological action.

We plan a sustainable fashion show with Indilisi and local designers to showcase the incredible talent of craftspeople and show that there is an alternative to fossil-fuel-driven textiles and fashion. We must raise the media profile of new ways of production that are fairer to people and better for the planet.

→ How & why are you building the Sonapahar community with artists, ecologists, farmers and social entrepreneur?

We organise many events, activities and festivals to connect artists, ecologists, farmers, etc. Art camps, seed exchanges between farmers, an annual tree-planting programme, climate seminars. There are so many ways to find expression and promote creativity in nature. We love bringing people together.

→ If we want to learn more about Bangladesh, any book or film recommendations?

A good place to start is 'Songs of Offerings' by Rabindranath Tagore. Also, 'A History of Bangladesh' by W V Schendel.


→ Would you like to share your favourite poem?

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep... 

- 'Stopping by woods on a snowy evening' by Robert Frost