United News of Bangladesh

FAO Director-General Dr. Qu Dongyu has assured continued support to Bangladesh in developing its deep-sea fishing industry and enhancing agricultural exports, particularly in fruits. The commitment came during a bilateral meeting between Dr Qu and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the World Food Forum and the FAO’s 80th Anniversary celebrations held at the FAO headquarters in Rome. Dr Qu warmly welcomed Professor Yunus, who visited the FAO headquarters to deliver a keynote address at the Forum’s flagship events. During their meeting, the Director-General praised Professor Yunus’ lifelong contributions to agricultural and rural development in Bangladesh. Describing Bangladesh as a 'high-performing country', Dr Qu reaffirmed the FAO’s continued support through technical assistance, innovation, and South–South and Triangular Cooperation, said Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam. "We will continue to support you," the FAO DG said. Brazilian President Lula plans to visit Bangladesh Prof Yunus expressed gratitude for the FAO’s long-standing support and sought assistance in three emerging areas: developing deep-sea fisheries and fish processing expertise; scaling up fruit exports through improved preservation and processing; and strengthening post-harvest management, including affordable and portable cold storage facilities. “We have a whole ocean, but we only fish in shallow waters. We’ve never fully utilised our maritime resources. Foreign trawlers catch fish in our waters while we remain under-equipped,” Prof Yunus said. In response, Dr Qu suggested Bangladesh consider inviting Chinese experts to help assess its deep-sea fish stocks and develop a sustainable strategy.

Director of the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Division at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters, Anping Ye, on Wednesday held a meeting with Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin at his office in the Secretariat. During the meeting, they discussed FAO’s ongoing operations in Bangladesh, along with strategies for enhancing seed production, diversifying markets for jute products, and building capacity in the sector. The commerce adviser said Bangladesh has a deep cultural, historical, and economic connection with jute and jute goods. Jute, the golden fibre, was once the backbone of our economy, and even today it holds significant importance, Bangladesh aims to reclaim the golden past of jute and position itself as a global hub for eco-friendly products, he added. Consumer rights severely eroded in previous 15 years: Commerce Adviser The adviser also said to achieve this, coordinated efforts in research, investment, and marketing from both public and private sectors are essential. FAO’s support can play a vital role in accelerating this process. In response, FAO Director Anping Ye said Bangladesh is a key country for jute products, and FAO is interested in helping expand the global market for Bangladeshi jute. He noted that FAO has already set up an office in the country to support agricultural development, employing over 200 personnel — most of them local. He assured FAO’s cooperation in enhancing capacity for jute production and market expansion. Textiles and Jute Secretary Md Abdur Rouf and FAO Representative in Bangladesh Xiaojun Shi  were also present at the meeting.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Laudes Foundation, and Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) came together to organize the Bangladesh Just Transition Academy on Tuesday. The Bangladesh Just Transition Academy is a two-day event happening in Dhaka on the 6-7th May 2025 convening key national stakeholders to reflect on and improve the understanding of what a just transition towards an environmentally sustainable and resilient economy and society means for Bangladesh. The Academy involves panel discussions among stakeholders, presentations from youth climate entrepreneurs, interactive breakout sessions, and is expected to culminate in a call to action between the government, employers’, and workers’ organizations to work collectively towards a just transition. Philippine fighter jet crashes, killing two pilots during anti-guerrilla mission. Launching the academy,   Advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change  Syeda Rizwana Hasan urged every public to enshrine just transition values in the vision and interventions of the government for Bangladesh economy and society to move towards sustainability. This shift should be “protective of our labourers, soil and air” and “prepare for the future of our children”. ILO Country Director Tuomo Poutiainen said that ILO’s just transition framework speaks not only about the workers from formal and informal sectors but also includes communities to give them agency and voice on issues affecting their lives. Maria Stridsman, Head of Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden called to avoid for piecemeal approaches in policy making, and for inclusion of women and informal sector workers in policy dialogues and policy processes to ensure that they too benefit from just transition. Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, FAO, said that the UN is supporting the Government of Bangladesh to access and leverage climate finance—including through the Green Climate Fund and other mechanisms—to scale up investments in adaptation and resilience. Chairperson of National Coordination Committee for Workers Education (NCCWE) Badal Khan and President of  Bangladesh Employers’ Federation (BEF) Ardashir Kabir also attended the opening session of the Academy, and underscored the critical roles of workers, communities and the employers in advancing Just Transition in the country. Naureen Chowdhury, head of the Laudes Foundation in Dhaka, moderated the first panel discussion on defining what a Just Transition means for Bangladesh in collaboration with ILOs Just Tranistion action programme, FAO, the head of the Bangladeshi labour reform commission and the Unilever ESG specialist. The event is also being supported by the Team Europe Initiative- European Union, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden- and Global Affairs Canada. Participants from ILOs social partners, government ministries, line departments, corporate and business, workers, youth organizations and funding partners are participating in this academy.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the government of Bangladesh on Thursday hosted a high-level technical workshop in the city to lay the groundwork for a new portfolio of technical support aimed at accelerating the country’s agricultural sector transformation. This policy support leverages analytics from FAO’s Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP) programme to compile and monitor public expenditure in the food and agriculture sector and find ways to optimise such spending to accelerate Bangladesh’s agricultural transformation programme (ATP). The two-day workshop brought together government officials, policymakers and technical experts to share the preliminary findings of an analysis on public expenditure in Bangladesh's food and agriculture sector. Using these data-driven insights, the MAFAP programme will partner with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), and other relevant institutions to track whether future spending aligns with the ATP pillars. Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian and FAO Representative in Bangladesh Jiaoqun Shi were present at the workshop. Dr Emdad said as they navigate the complexities of evolving global challenges—climate change, economic shocks, trade disruptions and technological transformations—effective policy monitoring and analysis have become critical. “FAO has been a longstanding and trusted partner of the Government of Bangladesh. They will collaborate in identifying ways on how public expenditures and investments can be optimised in the framework of the agricultural transformation that will empower farmers, enhance food security and drive sustainable agricultural development," he added. He emphasised the MAFAP programme’s data-driven approach and renowned analytical methodology, which would help “ensure whether our policies are effective and sustainable or not”, adding that its policy analysis would be “invaluable”. EU providing EUR 2 million to support those injured in 2024 uprising in Bangladesh Jiaoqun Shi said FAO remains committed to supporting the government of Bangladesh in strengthening its policy frameworks for the sustainable agricultural sector. He highlighted that the MAFAP programme can “play a pivotal role, offering a structured approach to assessing the effectiveness of food and agricultural policies and ensuring they are aligned with national development priorities”. The workshop also includes a demonstration of the FAO’s Policy Optimization Modelling Tool (PolOpT) and how it could help the government of Bangladesh maximise the impact of its food and agriculture spending. By optimising the way in which existing budgetary resources are allocated across different policy support measures and subsectors with PolOpT, Bangladesh could stand to boost agrifood GDP, create more off-farm jobs in rural areas, lift more people out of poverty, and make healthy diets more affordable for all. Deputy Director for Agrifood Economics and Policy at FAO and head of the MAFAP programme Dr Marco V. Sánchez said they are all on the same page here in Dhaka; that they need to not only monitor public spending on food and agriculture to track trends, but go a step further to optimize this government spending, so that every taka is spent more effectively for more jobs, higher agrifood output growth, less poverty and more affordable healthy diets for the people of Bangladesh. “This would be a pivotal step in Bangladesh’s agricultural transformation and the agrifood sector’s contribution to the rest of the economy, and FAO stands ready to support the government to make that happen,” he added. Experts also saw how the tool will help Bangladesh to prioritize high-potential commodities for greatest socioeconomic impact by strategically allocating spending levels on areas such as extension services, fertilizers, irrigation, mechanization, R&D, and seeds, FAO said in a media release on Thursday. During the workshop, stakeholders are going over preliminary results of MAFAP’s food and agriculture expenditure analysis and are actively participating in validating data with a view to fine-tuning key information to develop the policy analysis and prospective scenarios with PolOpT.

A validation workshop hosted by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Thursday focused on reducing pesticide risks and enhance the quality of dried fish for domestic and export markets. The workshop was arranged to finalise the updated version of the National Residue Control Plan (NRCP) Policy Guidelines 2011 (Revision 2025) and the Pesticide Residue Monitoring Plan (PRMP) Guidelines for dry fish in Bangladesh at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel on Thursday. The workshop aimed to align Bangladesh’s pesticides management frameworks with the changing requirements of the European Union (EU) and national regulations governing pesticide residues in the fisheries sector. The initiative is done under the FAO’s led Pesticide Risk Reduction in Bangladesh project that is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Dia Sanou, Deputy Representative, FAO Bangladesh, and Shahina Ferdousi, Joint Secretary, Fisheries Branch, Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock, participated the event which was chaired by Md. Zia Haider Chowdhury, Additional Director General, Department of Fisheries. The validation meeting follows an extensive consultative process to identify gaps and areas for improvement in the existing NRCP Policy Guidelines and inform the updating the NRCP Policy Guidelines and developing the PRMP Guidelines to ensure their compatibility with both EU regulations and national standards. This process involved thorough desk reviews of relevant legislation and regulations, as well as conducting three focus group discussions (FGDs) in Khulna, Gazipur, and Dhaka with experts, stakeholders, and government officials. Shahina Ferdousi, Joint Secretary, MOFL, acknowledged DoF and FAO’s significant collaboration in ensuring the country’s sustainable export and food safety regulations. World food prices remain steady in August: FAO She said, “FAO has trained DoF officials on pesticide residue monitoring, reviewed regulations, and improved drying practices for dried fish producers. These efforts aim to reduce pesticide risks and enhance the quality of dried fish for domestic and export markets." Dia Sanou, Deputy Representative, FAO Bangladesh, highlighted the country’s remarkable progress in the fish export sector, "Bangladesh has become the third-largest global producer of farmed fish, exporting to over 50 countries, including major markets like the EU, the US, and Japan. However, the country faces growing challenges  with chemical contamination in aquaculture products, particularly from banned drugs and other chemicals, leading to significant economic impacts and a loss of customer confidence." He further added, “The updated NRCP Policy Guideline 2011 and PRMP Guideline for Dry Fish will help uphold safety standards in Bangladesh’s fisheries, protect public health, and strengthen exports.’’ The workshop will work as a key milestone in fostering collaboration among key actors in this sector. The validation meeting is part of the FAO’s ongoing efforts to ensure sustainable and safe fishery practices in Bangladesh, fostering better regulatory frameworks to safeguard public health and improve trade standards for seafood products. FAO distributes silo, cattle feed to 15 110 families in Jamuna river basin to safeguard livelihoods The recommendations focused on the "Four Betters"—Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and a Better Life—ensuring sustainable export and food safety regulations in fisheries and aquaculture.

Global food prices fell by 2.1 percent in 2024 compared to the average for the previous year, mainly due to declines in cereal and sugar prices, according to the latest report released Friday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The FAO Food Price Index for the whole year of 2024 stands at 122 points, 2.6 points lower than the average value in 2023, the report said. World food prices remain steady in August: FAO While the Index showed a steady upward trend in most of 2024, driven by dairy, meat, and vegetable oil prices, this increase was insufficient to fully offset the declines in cereal and sugar prices. The FAO Cereal Price Index for 2024 dropped by 13.3 percent compared to 2023, while the FAO Sugar Price Index fell by 13.2 percent year-on-year. According to the FAO, the decline in cereal prices in 2024 was primarily due to lower wheat and coarse grain prices. FAO distributes silo, cattle feed to 15 110 families in Jamuna river basin to safeguard livelihoods The report also noted that the FAO Food Price Index for December 2024 averaged 127 points, a month-on-month decrease of 0.5 percent, but a year-on-year increase of 6.7 percent. 

Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has sought customized technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for enhancing local wheat and maize production in order to help address growing demands currently met through imports.  He highlighted Bangladesh’s remarkable progress in food security and agricultural production despite facing the challenges of shrinking arable land, growing population and climate impacts. FM seeks Danish investments in renewable energy, ICT sector The Foreign Minister also urged the Country Representative to align FAO’s activities with the relevant priority areas identified in the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100. Dr Jiaoqun Shi, the new FAO Representative to Bangladesh presented his Credentials to Foreign Minister Dr Hasan at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. No more stray mortal shells from Myanmar to land in Bangladesh, hopes FM The Foreign Minister welcomed the new FAO Representative and assured him of necessary support in discharging his responsibilities. Minister Hasan reiterated Bangladesh’s interest in supporting contract farming through private sector engagement in interested African countries.

Dr Jiaoqun Shi has joined as the new Representative for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Bangladesh. He submitted his credential to Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday. Dr Shi, a national of China, holds a Master of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Wuhan University, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from the National Academy of Governance in China. British parliamentary delegation visits Beximco Industrial Park He joined FAO in 2019 as Senior Compliance Advisor to the Deputy Director-General at FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy and since January 2021, he had been serving as Special Adviser at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok, Thailand. Dr Jiaoqun Shi started his career in 1988 as Researcher in the Xiangfan Prefecture, Government of China, in Xiangfan, China, according to FAO. From 1996 to 2004, he served as Deputy Director of Personnel in the Appointment Division at the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, China. Bangladesh, Canada find many areas for potential collaboration Between 2007 and 2010, he was Director of the General Division at the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, China. In 2009, he worked as Deputy Prefecture Governor for the Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Government in Xiangxi, China. From 2010 to 2016, he served as Deputy Director-General of the General Office at the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, China.  ‘Ready to work with you closely’: UAE Foreign Minister writes to Hasan Mahmud Between 2016 and 2019, he was Deputy Representative at the Permanent Representation of the People’s Republic of China to the three United Nations Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) in Rome, Italy. Dr Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh will lead the planning and implementation of FAO programmes in Bangladesh.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have joined hands in a significant partnership agreement aimed at enhancing global food security and nutrition. This trilateral cooperation agreement focuses on empowering rural smallholder farmers by providing them with accessible, affordable and adaptable technologies crucial for ensuring food security, according to an official press release. IsDB’s Vice President of Operations Dr. Mansur Muhtar emphasized the significance of this collaboration in addressing the pressing challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition that confront numerous IsDB Member Countries, particularly among small-scale farmers and pastoralist communities. Global food prices down 2.1 pct in August: FAO He stated, "Our partnership with FAO and IFAD will play a pivotal role in identifying technologies suitable for integration into IsDB's Food Security Response Program (FSRP) and other agricultural initiatives." This alliance is poised to usher in transformative change in agricultural sustainability and food security across diverse regions. “A majority of countries in the Near East and North Africa region projects increasing rates of food insecurity and malnutrition. These challenges are particularly more prevalent amongst small-scale farmers and pastoralist communities. The new tripartite cooperation between FAO, IsDB and IFAD will facilitate identification of technologies that have the potential for mainstreaming throughout the crop value chain to improve livelihoods of smallholder farmers and food security among the entire populations,” said AbdulHakim Elwaer, FAO assistant director-general and regional representative for the Near East and North Africa (NENA).  “This cooperation is important to FAO, as it is a first building block in the partnership between FAO and IsDB since the signing of an MoU in 2020.” Elwaer added. “Technology has enabled small-scale producers to effectively contribute to sustainable agricultural development and food security. Despite the huge efforts to introduce new technologies to support farmers across the value chain, there is still an urgent need to increase capacities and accelerate innovation through partnerships. The cooperation agreement is a major milestone in our joining forces with other partners to help reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Saudi Vision 2030," said IFAD’s Director of Sustainable Production, Markets, and Institutions Division Thouraya Triki.  FAO-ERD sign technical assistance project agreement  She added: "We aim through this agreement to share our knowledge and technical expertise with FAO and IsDB and benefit from this joint initiative to promote the scale of these technologies and strengthen the capacities of rural farmers to help them to reduce costs and increase production, income and food security.” These transferable, adoptable, smart agricultural technologies and digital solutions will support the development of low carbon agriculture, improve resilience, contribute to poverty alleviation, create employment and reduce vulnerability to climate-related risks. Aligned with the digital era, this collective initiative aspires to harness innovative tools and approaches with the objective of empowering rural households and smallholder family farmers to thrive despite multifaceted challenges. These technologies and solutions are anticipated not only to improve agricultural productivity but also to pave the way for sustainable, low-carbon practices. By enhancing resilience, reducing poverty, creating employment opportunities, and mitigating vulnerabilities linked to climate-induced risks, this partnership emerges as a source of optimism. Global food prices rise after collapse of Black Sea deal: FAO This tripartite agreement represents a synergistic collaboration, harnessing the expertise and resources of FAO, IsDB, and IFAD to empower rural households, uplift smallholder family farmers, and contribute to elevated global food security. Through the integration of cutting-edge technologies into agricultural practices, this partnership seeks to cultivate a sustainable and resilient food supply, fostering prosperity for communities worldwide.

The benchmark index of international food commodity prices has declined 2.1 percent compared to July, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Friday. The prices of rice, however, surged by 9.8 percent in August to a 15-year high compared to a month earlier. The increase was triggered by India's rice export ban from July, complicated by a seasonal lull in production between rice harvests in the Northern Hemisphere. Read : FAO-ERD sign technical assistance project agreement  Overall prices for grains and cereals, the largest component in the index, slipped by 0.7 percent due to strong harvests from major producers. Corn prices fell for the seventh consecutive month based on bumper crops in Brazil, while wheat prices were 3.8 percent lower based on strong harvests in the United States and Canada. FAO said four of the five broad sub-indexes saw declines. In addition to the slight dip in prices for grains and cereals, prices were also lower for vegetable oils, dairy products, and meat. Read : Global food prices rise after collapse of Black Sea deal: FAO Sugar prices, meanwhile, rose by 1.3 percent and were more than 34 percent above their levels from a year earlier. FAO said the increase in sugar prices stemmed from persisting concerns about impacts from the El Niño weather phenomenon in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Sugar output in India was also hurt by low rainfall there, while heavy rains made sugar harvests more difficult in Brazil. Read : Climate adaptive innovation must for development of agro industries: Speakers say at ICC Bangladesh, Standard Chartered, FAO roundtable The next FAO food price index is scheduled for publication on Oct. 6, 2023.