WORKSHOP: THE FEED THE FUTURE ZONE IN BANGLADESH: A COMPARISON OF FOOD SECURITY ASPECTS

16 January 2013   |   Ruposhi Bangla Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh

On January 16, 2013 IFPRI and USAID jointly held a one-day workshop in Dhaka, Bangladesh to present the findings of a 6,500-household survey on food security and agriculture across the country. IFPRI conducted the survey for USAID’s Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP) in order to assess the impact food security programs, like Feed the Future, have across the country and in specific areas, like southern Bangladesh.

Findings from analysis of a wide range of demographic and agricultural data included:

• Smallholder farmers (less than 1 acre) represent about 61% of the farmers in the south and southwest part of the country.
• Smallholders irrigate more of their land on a percentage basis, use more fertilizer per hectare, and have higher yields than the larger size farmers.
• Smallholders have much lower access to credit and access extension services at lower rates than large farmers.

The comprehensive survey also collected data on women’s empowerment in the agriculture sector and found that the most critical factor is control over income, rather than the overall size of household income.

In attendance for the presentations were Bangladesh’s Honorable Minister of Agriculture Matia Chowdhury; Honorable Minister of Food Dr. Muhammad Abdur Razzaque; Honorable Minister of Women and Children’s Affairs, Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury; and His Excellency Dan Mozena, the Ambassador of the United States of America.

Presentation by Dr. Akhter Ahmed, IFPRI

Profile of the Feed the Future Zone in the South and Other Regions of Bangladesh.