By The Newspaper's Staff Reporter
Published Jun 25, 2014 06:27am

LAHORE: All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) is preparing a proposal for funding the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) from the Export Development Fund (EDF).

Pakistan is a leading producer of BCI cotton as around 163,000 metric tonnes of cotton is grown and processed with BCI standards as of Dec 2013.

Aptma Punjab chapter acting chairman Syed Ali Ahsan said on Tuesday that sustainability-led initiative would help boost textile exports across the textile value chain from farm to fashion to foreign trade.

He said the BCI was aimed at promoting measurable improvements in key environmental and social impacts of cotton cultivation worldwide and Aptma has been among founder members of the BCI Steering Committee since last four years.

He said the farmers have reduced water use by 20 percent, pesticide use by 50pc and fertiliser application by 33pc after BCI. Similarly, farmers have also increased their overall net revenue by 35pc.

Published in Dawn, June 25, 2014

Youth of Hope Conference

Lok Sanjh organized a Conference on Climate Change : Opportunities and Challenges for Youth on October, 14th, 2016 at Margalla Hotel, Islamabad. This conference engaged senior researchers, the private sector, civil society, donors, development practitioners and others committed to food and nutrition security to debate on the situation. That helped to see the bigger picture of what is needed to set priorities and make the best decisions to formulate policies and set up some doable models of sustainable agriculture.

Gender, Climate Change and adaptation

Pakistan is considered one of the worst hit countries due to adverse effects of climate change that has adverse implications for agriculture, livestock production and in turn for human beings. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its geographic location, high dependence on agriculture and low adaptive capacity of its people. Agriculture is extremely susceptible to climate change. It is both an opportunity and potential threat for future agriculture and livestock. Lok Sanjh Foundation (LSF) introduced an approach of clean energy initiatives in the field as climate change mitigation strategy. Renewable energies introduced helped in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Visit our Publications Section to Download this study. In this Context Lok Sanjh Foundation has conducted a study on Gender, Climate Change and adaptation

International Cotton Conference August 3-5 ,Izmir

Cotton is an important natural fiber crop of world known as “white gold”. Livelihoods of millions of farmers is dependent on this crop, in addition to millions of people employed along the entire cotton value chain, from weaving to textile and garment exports. In the wake of this global phenomenon, it is still unclear that whether cotton production will be able to satisfy the future fiber needs of the growing population as Cotton represents nearly half the fiber used to make clothes and other textiles worldwide, with much of the rest coming synthetic products. However, evidently cotton yield is declining or stagnating as no new production technology is available for the producers and declining international cotton prices are worrying many and likely to affect negatively the whole cotton value chain, if translated in lower cotton production. Lok Sanjh Foundation (LSF), in collaboration with Oxfam-Novib , SESRIC,RBDC, Coventry University, Nazilli Cotton Research Institute, Turkey, is organizing an International Cotton Conference “From Farm to Fashion” at Hilton Hotel, Izmir, Turkey on August 3-5, 2015. The Ministry of Agriculture, Turkey ad Textile Exchange have kindly agreed to support this event. In the conference, farmers, scientists, policy makers, key agricultural researchers and educations institutions, NGOs, ginners, spinners and international garment companies of cotton producing and major consuming countries of Central Asia, Europe and Africa are participating to discuss the issues and devise sustainable cotton production, supply chain and trade policies. The following are three main themes of the conference: o Supply Side: Cotton Production Technologies and Sustainability Issues. o Cotton Supply Chain and Trade o Demand Side: Trends in fashion and demand for cotton, competition with synthetics etc.

International conference “Scientists for Sustainability”

International conference “Scientists for Sustainability” held at Best Western, Islamabad. Scientists from national & international organizations focused on sustainable crop technology, research & communication role in sustainable development, a sustainable action group discussed sustainable agriculture & Climate Smart agriculture. Conference was held by Lok Sanjh Foundation & Rural Business Development Center.

Developing Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainable Development

Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi (PMAS-AAUR) invited Dr. Shahid Zia, Managing Director, Lok Sanjh Foundation, as a key note speaker in a 'Dialogue for Development (DfD) seminar entitled" Developing Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainable Development " on 5th November 2012. A large number of students, researchers and faculty members of the university participated in the seminar.

While speaking on the subject Dr. Shahid Zia said that " people believe that manifesto for democracy is developed by political parties in Pakistan and normally democracy and sustainable development are discussed in separate frameworks. The current system of democracy is based on poor levels of participation and engagement of peopole. It depends with short termisim in which politicians try to develop and deliver with their own agenda to win the next election. As a result various other aspects of the economy and society are neglected and marginalized people become more poor and rich more richer. Hence they are poorly prepared for other challenges like climate change, resource scarcity, good governance, an aging and growing population etc. A well structured democratic system based of full participation of people is essential for dealing with such challenges in Pakistan.