Bangladesh (Commonwealth Union)_ The United States (US) has committed to providing a generous amount of 35 million US dollars in order to support Bangladeshi farmers in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change and enhancing their agricultural output. This assistance will be channeled through the “Feed the Future Climate-Smart Agriculture Project,” which spans a five-year duration and will be implemented in collaboration with the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture and the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC).
By leveraging financial resources from the US government through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the project aims to educate small-scale farmers in the southern districts of Bangladesh on the adoption of climate-smart farming techniques. This educational initiative will encompass the utilization of improved seeds as well as the optimization of fertilizer application, thereby enabling farmers to effectively cope with climate-related challenges while enhancing agricultural productivity. Further, beyond its primary focus on addressing climate change impacts, the Feed the Future Climate-Smart Agriculture project will also serve as a valuable tool for Bangladesh in overcoming multifaceted challenges stemming from the global COVID-19 pandemic and the disruptive effects caused by Russia’s conflict with Ukraine on supply chains. In addition, the project will also contribute to significant fertilizer savings, reduce subsidy costs, and ultimately enhance crop production.
Further, the project will foster collaboration among private sector enterprises, agri-input service providers, and public sector entities. Together, these stakeholders will work towards bolstering the resilience of the agricultural sector by implementing climate-smart technologies and adopting sustainable practices. The launch of this initiative took place at the BARC Auditorium today, with esteemed individuals present, including Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter; Dr. Muhammad Khan, the Director of Economic Growth Programs at USAID Bangladesh; Henk van Duijn, President and CEO of IFDC; and Dr. Shaikh Mohammad Bokhtiar, the Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC).
It is worth noting that the US government has consistently demonstrated its commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s development endeavors, having provided over 8 billion US dollars in assistance since the country’s independence. Notably, the previous year alone witnessed USAID allocating a substantial funding amount of 200 million US dollars towards initiatives that improve the quality of life in Bangladesh. These encompass programs aimed at expanding food security, facilitating economic opportunities, advancing healthcare and education, fostering democratic institutions and practices, safeguarding the environment, and fortifying resilience in the face of climate change.
