The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed two projects with the government of Bangladesh on March 12 and 13 at the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
The projects are “Technical Support to Sustainable and Resilient Investment towards Agriculture Sector Transformation Programme of Bangladesh” and “Emergency response to control and manage Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and African Swine Fever (ASF) in Bangladesh.”
Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance, and Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh were present in both signing events.
FAO has been working with Bangladesh, implementing over 380 technical assistance projects with a combined budget of USD 420 million since 1973.
These projects span crops, fisheries, livestock, nutrition, food safety, One Health, urban food systems, agricultural transformation and digitalization, emergency response, climate resilience and forestry, said the FAO on Thursday.
All the FAO projects are in line with the national planning documents, strategies and priorities of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
Siddiky said as the country is opting for an agricultural transformation, Bangladesh is now embracing sustainable farming practices, enabling farmers to adapt to shifting environmental conditions while safeguarding food security and protecting natural resources.
“New investments in agricultural sector will enable us more to work towards our common goal- a sustainable agri food system for Bangladesh.’’
Jiaoqun Shi said the strong collaboration between FAO and the government of Bangladesh will help them accelerate progress towards food security, nutrition, and sustainable agricultural development in Bangladesh.
With a budget of USD 4 355 372, this project is funded by the Gates foundation aiming to encourage investment in the crop sector and enhance the innovative technologies in line with agricultural transformation towards sustainable agro-economic growth in Bangladesh.
The key objectives of this project are, assessing Agricultural Transformation Program (ATP) related public investment efficacy, developing regional Priority Investment Plans for Agri-Transformation, supporting the implementation of innovative technologies, and strengthening the capacity of GoB to support ATP implementation.
With these key objectives the project will largely support the Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience in Bangladesh (PARTNER), which is being implemented under Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).
With a budget of USD 500 000, this Emergency TCP project aims to reduce the incidence and economic impact of Foot and Mouth Diseases (FMD), establish the effectiveness of a risk-based FMD vaccination program, and establish the foundation for the progressive control of African Swine Fever (ASF).
This initiative will provide valuable evidence for future FMD control efforts using risk-based vaccination strategies and serve as a framework for subsequent ASF control measures which will ultimately support sustainable livestock productivity and safeguarding farmers' livelihoods in Bangladesh.