Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and CAB International will work jointly to promote safe food production, reduce farmers’ production costs and address climate and environmental risks through sustainable agroecological farming.

To this end, the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) titled “Up-scaling of Sustainable Agroecological Farming in Bangladesh” on Thursday.

PKSF Deputy Managing Director Dr Akond Mohammad Rafiqul Islam signed the MoU on behalf of PKSF, while Dr Vinod Pandit, regional director for South Asia at CAB International, signed for his organisation.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader stressed the need to advance Bangladesh’s agriculture sector through sustainable and market-driven solutions.

He emphasised the importance of promoting science-based agriculture and agroecological farming while equipping farmers with the skills needed to adopt modern and environmentally friendly farming practices.

Fazlul Kader also highlighted the potential for developing microenterprises among local farmers to produce bio-pesticides, saying this could reduce production costs and minimise risks to the environment and public health while accelerating the transition towards safer food production.

Vinod Pandit said the initiative aims to reduce the use of harmful pesticides and promote safer biological pest-control solutions through training and enhanced technical capacity.

The initiative will also focus on raising awareness among stakeholders across the agricultural sector, strengthening digital data management and developing market-based partnerships to reduce farmers’ production costs and promote environmentally friendly and sustainable agriculture, he said.

Under the MoU, CAB International’s technical expertise through its PlantwisePlus programme will be combined with PKSF’s implementation capacity and extensive grassroots network.

The collaboration is expected to strengthen the skills and capacities of smallholder and marginal farmers and support the wider adoption of sustainable agroecological farming practices.

Country Representative of CAB International in Bangladesh Dr Saleh Ahmed also spoke at the event.