BANGLADESH
by IFPRI | April 26, 2017
IFPRI Publications on Bangladesh
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Task or time? Comparing methods for measuring the gender distribution of work
Banerjee, Archis; Kumar, Neha; Quisumbing, Agnes R.. 2024
Banerjee, Archis; Kumar, Neha; Quisumbing, Agnes R.. 2024
Abstract | View
There is growing evidence that gender disparities in the distribution of paid and unpaid work impose constraints on women’s well-being and livelihoods, reducing access to paid employment, and time for education, leisure, and social activities. Yet, gender disparities in unpaid work often go undiagnosed by traditional household surveys. While time-use surveys are well-suited for measuring unpaid work, they are often expensive to administer and take substantial amounts of survey time, leading to respondent fatigue, particularly in multi-topic surveys where other outcomes are also being collected.
The unmet financial needs of intermediary firms within agri-food value chains in Uganda and Bangladesh
Adong, Annet; Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Islam, AHM Saiful; Wagner, Julia. 2024
Adong, Annet; Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Islam, AHM Saiful; Wagner, Julia. 2024
Abstract | View
Intermediary firms within agri-food value chains operating between the farmgate and retailers typically account for at least as much, if not more, value added as the primary agricultural production sector of the economy, but little is known about how these small and largely informal firms conduct their business. Drawing on a set of innovative surveys implemented amid the arabica coffee and soybean value chains in Uganda and the rice and potato value chains in Bangladesh, we describe the financial activities of the firms that transform agricultural produce into food. We document four sets of results. First, across all intermediary actors in our data the overwhelming majority of transactions are cash-based. Second, although many intermediary actors are un-banked, access to financial accounts varies considerably by value chain segment, commodity, and country. Third, while most intermediary actors report using mobile money for personal purposes, especially in Uganda, very few use mobile money to facilitate business transactions. Fourth, although intermediary actors frequently report exposure to risk, very few effectively manage this risk. We conclude by discussing how intermediary agri-food value chain actors represent an underappreciated population for the promotion of new technologies both to improve the stability of the agricultural sector and to improve outcomes among smallholder farmers.
South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative: Abstract Digest August 2024
IFPRI. 2024
IFPRI. 2024
Abstract | View
In this third edition of the South Asia Nutrition Knowledge Initiative’s Abstract Digest, we present studies on global, regional, and country-specific evidence on various topics of nutrition. These include the impact of short birth intervals on child malnutrition in the Asia-Pacific region, a summary of lessons from program evaluations of food systems interventions for nutrition in South Asia, the effect of zinc supplementation in pregnant and lactating mothers in a three-country study, and a review of evidence on school meals, impact on nutrition, and their other evolving dimensions.
Climate shocks and fertilizer responses: Field-level evidence for rice production in Bangladesh
Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Kishore, Avinash; Kumar, Anjani. 2024
Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Kishore, Avinash; Kumar, Anjani. 2024
Abstract | View
The fertilizer response of yield has been one of the major indicators of agricultural productivity in both developed and developing countries. Filling the evidence gap remains vital regarding fertilizer response in Asia, particularly in South Asia, given the evolution and emergence of new challenges, including intensifying climate shocks. We aim to partly fill this knowledge gap by investigating the associations between climate shocks and fertilizer response in Bangladeshi rice production. Using three rounds of nationally representative farm household panel data with plot- level information, we assess fertilizer response functions regarding rice yield and how the shapes of these response functions are heterogeneous in relation to anomalies in temperatures, droughts, and rainfall. We find robust evidence that climate anomalies have adverse effects on fertilizer responses, including higher temperatures for the Boro and the Aman irrigated systems and higher temperatures and droughts for the Aman rainfed systems. These findings hold robustly under various fertilizer response function forms, i.e., polynomial function and stochastic Linear Response Plateau. Furthermore, results for stochastic Linear Response Plateau are also consistent for both switching regression type models and Bayesian regression models.
The causal effect of early marriage on women's bargaining power: Evidence from Bangladesh
Tauseef, Salauddin; Sufian, Farha Deba. 2024
Tauseef, Salauddin; Sufian, Farha Deba. 2024
Abstract | View
Early marriage restrains women's agency and bargaining strength in postmarital households, impairing their ability to make meaningful contributions to household decision making. This paper employs a comprehensive measure of women's empowerment in the domestic and productive spheres, and isolates the causal effect of age at marriage, instrumented by age at menarche, on their bargaining strength, using nationally representative data from Bangladesh. Results suggest that delayed marriages result in significantly higher empowerment scores and probability of being empowered for women, because of higher likelihood in achieving adequacy in their autonomy in agricultural production, control over income, ownership of assets and rights in those assets, and ability to speak in public. Favorable impacts of delayed marriage are also found on women's freedom of mobility, fertility choices, and their ability to decide on household expenses and investments, with the impacts likely coming via improvements in education and labor market outcomes when women married later.
Diagnostic study of DG Food: An assessment of DG Food’s current mandates, performance, and capacity gaps, and a remedial program to strengthen the agency
Mustafa, Shoumi; Ali, A M M Shawkat; Islam, Kazi Nurul; Dorosh, Paul A.; Rashid, Shahidur; Shaima, Nabila Afrin. 2024
Mustafa, Shoumi; Ali, A M M Shawkat; Islam, Kazi Nurul; Dorosh, Paul A.; Rashid, Shahidur; Shaima, Nabila Afrin. 2024
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This study conducts an assessment of the current mandates, performance, and capacity gaps of the Directorate General of Food (DG Food) and suggests remedies to strengthen the agency. Formed originally as the Supply Department in undivided Bengal under British rule in the early 1940s, the organization was named the Directorate General of Food by the provincial government of East Pakistan in 1956. Upon the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, DG Food became a part of the Ministry of Food and Civil Supplies and was later renamed as the Directorate General of Food in 1975. The last major reorganization of the agency took place in 1984. The current mandates and organogram are from 1984. As the custodian of the Public Food Distribution System (PFDS), DG Food plays an important role for the Government of Bangladesh (GoB). Under the Social Safety Net Programs (SSNP) of the GoB, DG Food ensures food security for vulnerable populations. In its sprawling countrywide network of 650-plus traditional warehouses, DG Food has an effective storage capacity of 1.9 million tons. In recent years, DG Food has procured and distributed approximately 3.0 million tons of foodgrains per year. A very large organization, DG Food has a sanctioned workforce of over 13,000 officers and employees, and an annual budget of approximately 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.
Implementation of paddy drying technology: Introducing small/medium paddy dryers in remote areas
Alam, Md. Monjurul; Kalita, Prasanta Kumar; Saha, Chayan Kumer; Sarkar, Surajit; Winter-Nelson, Alex. 2024
Alam, Md. Monjurul; Kalita, Prasanta Kumar; Saha, Chayan Kumer; Sarkar, Surajit; Winter-Nelson, Alex. 2024
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Grain drying has become increasingly challenging for the Bangladesh food system as postharvest innovations have not kept pace with production growth and an increasing volume of grain is harvested during wet or foggy periods, when conventional open-air drying is problematic. This activity sought to build capacity for mechanical dryer service provision by small-scale entrepreneurs and to demonstrate a model for providing mobile grain drying services through entrepreneurs using a locally manufactured small-scale dryer. In coordination with Ministry of Food officials, the project selected 20 farmers to train as mechanized drying service providers, provided them with use of small-scale mobile batch dryers, and deployed them in rural areas from which Local Supply Depots (LSDs) source grain. The service providers were active in Bogura and Rangpur Districts in late May 2023, during the closing phases of the Boro harvest season. The pilot revealed nuances of the costs of operation and indicated potential for viable business activities, especially in areas where open-air drying is relatively costly or inadequately available. Additionally, a scoping visit to Naogaon District revealed significant interest in mechanized drying services. The findings suggest a value to additional observation of the service providers to document capacity utilization over an Aman season and a full Boro season. Such observations would allow confirmation about parameters related to annual capacity utilization which are important determinants of business viability
Foresight for food markets: Developing and implementing market forecasting methods/models
Dorosh, Paul A.; Mustafa, Shoumi; Kabir, Razin Iqbal; Shaima, Nabila Afrin. 2024
Dorosh, Paul A.; Mustafa, Shoumi; Kabir, Razin Iqbal; Shaima, Nabila Afrin. 2024
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The “Foresight for Food Markets: Developing and Implementing Market Forecasting Methods/Models with Hands-on Training at the FPMU” is an element of Integrated Food Policy Research Program (IFPRP). Originally signed in 2016 between the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the Joint Venture (JV) comprising the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Bangladesh Institute of the Development Studies (BIDS), and the University of Illinois, IFPRP was extended and modified in subsequent periods. The most recent updated contract between the GoB and the JV was signed in mid-2022. Deliverable 4.3, Foresight for Food Markets: Developing and Implementing Market Forecasting Methods/Models with Hands-on Training at the FPMU is one of the new deliverables included in the updated contract. Rising prices of essential commodities affect consumer welfare and pose a serious challenge to the Government of Bangladesh. Knowing prices of essentials in advance would allow the government to take necessary measures to restrain the extent of price increases or to mitigate effects of rising prices; such measures could include provisions of direct distributions of rice and wheat through social safety net programs or of subsidized open market sales on the one hand and engaging in direct imports of essentials or easing import restrictions for the private sector, on the other. Because price fluctuations are a feature of a free market, there is a persistent need for the government to be able to project consumer prices in advance. Accordingly, it is important that in addition to receiving estimates prepared by external experts, the government has the ability to obtain its own price projections; the government should have the estimates when it needs them and for commodities for which such information is needed. Against this backdrop, IFPRP is providing hands-on training on price projection techniques to officials from the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU), the Directorate General of Food (DG Food), and the Ministry of Food (MoFood). It is envisioned that trained officials from the DG Food, the Ministry of Food, and mostly from the FPMU will produce price projection estimates on their own with IFPRP personnel helping a consultative capacity.
Feasibility of nationwide warehouse receipt system: An assessment of the potential for a nationwide warehouse receipt system and recommendation for the requisite legal and regulatory framework
Narayanan, Sudha; Hussain, Siraj; Rashid, Shahidur. 2024
Narayanan, Sudha; Hussain, Siraj; Rashid, Shahidur. 2024
Abstract | View
Warehouse receipts systems (WRS) have been used to tackle multiple challenges faced by farmers. In the absence of adequate collateral and consequent credit constraints, a WRS enables the use of inventory as collateral for loans, thus removing a key constraint farmers face. With growing digital reach, electronic based Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (e-NWR) that can be swapped, exchanged and traded and can assist in deepening financial markets while maintaining the integrity of the system. While e-NWRS can potentially address farmer level constraints, they can also be viewed from a larger policy perspective as a system that aids government plans for food security and manage public procurement operations better and more nimbly; it can also play a key role for enhancing the efficiency and food quality and safety along value chains by enabling mid-stream players like traders and importers to manage these chains better. This report seeks to inform the policy process around e-NWRS by focusing on the potential of Ware house Receipt Financing, more broadly, in the agricultural development of Bangladesh. To do this we review global evidence as well as evidence closer to home, within South Asia, to understand the pre-conditions and prerequisites for a successful system.
Enhanced quality of nutrition services during antenatal care through interventions to improve maternal nutrition in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and India
Nguyen, Phuong; Mai, Lan T.; Kachwaha, Shivani; Sanghvi, Tina; Mahmud, Zeba; Zafimanjaka, Maurice G.; Walissa, Tamirat; Ghosh, Sebanti; Kim, Sunny S.. 2024
Nguyen, Phuong; Mai, Lan T.; Kachwaha, Shivani; Sanghvi, Tina; Mahmud, Zeba; Zafimanjaka, Maurice G.; Walissa, Tamirat; Ghosh, Sebanti; Kim, Sunny S.. 2024
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Objectives: Quality antenatal care (ANC) services are critical for maternal health and nutrition. Information on quality of nutrition interventions during ANC is scarce in low-and middle-income countries. Our study examined the effects of intensified maternal nutrition interventions during ANC on service readiness, provision of care, and client’s experience of care in Bangladesh (BD), Burkina Faso (BF), Ethiopia (ET), and India (IN). We also examined inter-relationships between the dimensions of ANC quality.
Consumer preferences matter for transforming food systems for sustainable healthy diets
Ecker, Olivier; Comstock, Andrew R.; de Brauw, Alan; Diao, Xinshen; Talukder, Md. Ruhul Amin. 2024
Ecker, Olivier; Comstock, Andrew R.; de Brauw, Alan; Diao, Xinshen; Talukder, Md. Ruhul Amin. 2024
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Food system transformation strategies rely on consumer demand response for achieving sustainable healthy diets, but food consumption patterns and consumer preferences are often not well understood in many countries of the global South. This brief examines consumer demand in Bangladesh, a country in the take-off stage of agrifood system transformation, that has experienced improvements in diet quality but also an increasing incidence of overweight, with faster increases in rural than urban areas. The authors estimate responses in consumer demand to changes in incomes and changes in food prices, finding that rural consumer demand is driven by strong preferences for animal-source foods, while the demand for sugar and highly processed foods increases faster than total food demand when income rises. They conclude that agricultural value chain development can be an important policy instrument for improving household diet quality but can also lead to undesirable dietary change if food consumption incentives conflict with nutritional needs.
A network-driven data collection approach for agri-food value chains
Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Wagner, Julia. 2024
Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Herskowitz, Sylvan; Wagner, Julia. 2024
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A key challenge in systematically collecting data on intermediary agri-food value chain actors is that value chains take the form of a network, with actors linked by a series of transactions. Moreover, we have limited ex ante knowledge about the structure or scale of these networks, which complicates the construction of valid sampling frames and limits traditional random sampling approaches to collect data. To address these challenges, we adapt the respondent-driven sampling approach to collect data on intermediary agri-food value chain actors within their transaction-linked network and implement this approach in the arabica coffee and soybean value chains in Uganda and the rice and potato value chains in Bangladesh. We observe meaningful heterogeneity in the structure and scale of agri-food value chains across commodities and countries. Focusing on traders, we show that the respondent-driven sampling approach generates a larger sample of traders who differ in observable characteristics (i.e., value added, enterprise scale, and financial access) compared to a sub-sample of traders generated in a way that mimics traditional random sampling approaches used to study traders. We conclude by discussing how this respondent-driven sampling approach, applied within transaction-linked networks, can provide a useful data collection method for studying intermediary agri-food value chain actors.
Assessing the impact of rice price stabilization policies in Bangladesh: Results from a stochastic spatial equilibrium model
Minot, Nicholas; Hossain, Shahadat; Kabir, Razin; Dorosh, Paul A.; Rashid, Shahidur. 2024
Minot, Nicholas; Hossain, Shahadat; Kabir, Razin; Dorosh, Paul A.; Rashid, Shahidur. 2024
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Rice plays a central role in the diet in Bangladesh and as a source of income for farmers. Although Bangladesh has largely liberalized international trade in rice, it maintains a public food distribution system to stablize prices, distributing an average of 2 million tons of rice per year at a cost of almost US$ 800 million per year. This study explores whether alternative policies could achieve similar stabilization at a lower cost. It uses a stochastic spatial-equilibrium model of rice markets to simulate monthly prices in eight regions of the country. Stochastic shocks are used to simulate fluctuations in regional production, replicating historical patterns at the region-season level, as well as inter-regional correlation in production shocks. It also simulates fluctuation in world rice prices, mimicking the mean, variance, and serial correlation of historical wholesale prices of rice in Delhi. Public procurement and distribution follow historic averages by month and region. Private storage is represented by a simplified version of rational expectations models, in which net storage is a non-linear function of availability in the previous month.
Defining a dichotomous indicator for population-level assessment of dietary diversity among pregnant adolescent girls and women: A secondary analysis of quantitative 24-h recalls from rural settings in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, India, and Nepal
Verger, Eric O.; Eymard-Duvernay, Sabrina; Bahya-Batinda, Dang; Hanley-Cook, Giles T.; Argaw, Alemayehu; Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Harris-Fry, Helen; Kachwaha, Shivani; Kim, Sunny S.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Saville, Naomi M.; Tran, Lan Mai; Zagré, Rock R.; Landais, Edwige; Savy, Mathilde; Martin-Prevel, Yves; Lachat, Carl. 2024
Verger, Eric O.; Eymard-Duvernay, Sabrina; Bahya-Batinda, Dang; Hanley-Cook, Giles T.; Argaw, Alemayehu; Becquey, Elodie; Diop, Loty; Gelli, Aulo; Harris-Fry, Helen; Kachwaha, Shivani; Kim, Sunny S.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Saville, Naomi M.; Tran, Lan Mai; Zagré, Rock R.; Landais, Edwige; Savy, Mathilde; Martin-Prevel, Yves; Lachat, Carl. 2024
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Background The Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women of Reproductive Age (MDD-W) indicator was validated as a proxy of micronutrient adequacy among nonpregnant women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). At that time, indeed, there was insufficient data to validate the indicator among pregnant women, who face higher micronutrient requirements. Objective This study aimed to validate a minimum food group consumption threshold, out of the 10 food groups used to construct MDD-W, to be used as a population-level indicator of higher micronutrient adequacy among pregnant women aged 15–49 y in LMICs. Methods We used secondary quantitative 24-h recall data from 6 surveys in 4 LMICs (Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, India, and Nepal, total n = 4909). We computed the 10-food group Women's Dietary Diversity Score (WDDS-10) and calculated the mean probability of adequacy (MPA) of 11 micronutrients. Linear regression models were fitted to assess the associations between WDDS-10 and MPA. Sensitivity, specificity, and proportion of individuals correctly classified were used to assess the performance of MDD-W in predicting an MPA of >0.60. Results In the pooled sample, median values (interquartile range) of WDDS-10 and MPA were 3 (1) and 0.20 (0.34), respectively, whereas the proportion of pregnant women with an MPA of >0.60 was 9.6%. The WDDS-10 was significantly positively associated with MPA in each survey. Although the acceptable food group consumption threshold varied between 4 and 6 food groups across surveys, the threshold of 5 showed the highest performance in the pooled sample with good sensitivity (62%), very good specificity (81%), and percentage of correctly classified individuals (79%). Conclusions The WDDS-10 is a good predictor of dietary micronutrient adequacy among pregnant women aged 15–49 y in LMICs. Moreover, the threshold of 5 or more food groups for the MDD-W indicator may be extended to all women of reproductive age, regardless of their physiologic status.
Resilience of social transfer programs to large unexpected shocks
Chowdhury, Shyamal; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Mallick, Debdulal; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Rashid, Shahidur. 2024
Chowdhury, Shyamal; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Mallick, Debdulal; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Rashid, Shahidur. 2024
Abstract | View
Large, unexpected shocks are becoming more frequent, making the design of robust social transfer programs more vital than ever. We evaluate the performance of the Food Friendly Program (FFP), the largest in-kind social transfer program in Bangladesh, before and during the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown. Using two-rounds of nationally representative household surveys combined with administrative data, we document that high leakages and large welfare losses are related to corruption. This contrasts with the performance of the pre-lockdown FFP, when leakage was low and coverage high. We then compare the performance of the FFP with two initiatives launched following the pandemic: an in-kind and cash transfer program, respectively. These programs have markedly higher levels of leakage than the FFP. Our findings are relevant to other large shocks, such as those caused by climate change, and have important policy implications for the design and delivery of transfer programs in developing countries characterized by institutional weaknesses.
Who is absent and why? Factors affecting doctor absenteeism in Bangladesh
Islam, Mir Raihanul; Angell, Blake; Naher, Nahitun; Islam, Bushra Zarin; Khan, Mushtaq Husain; McKee, Martin; Hutchinson, Eleanor; Balabanova, Dina; Ahmed, Syed Masud. 2024
Islam, Mir Raihanul; Angell, Blake; Naher, Nahitun; Islam, Bushra Zarin; Khan, Mushtaq Husain; McKee, Martin; Hutchinson, Eleanor; Balabanova, Dina; Ahmed, Syed Masud. 2024
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Absenteeism by doctors in public healthcare facilities in rural Bangladesh is a form of chronic rule-breaking and is recognised as a critical problem by the government. We explored the factors underlying this phenomenon from doctors’ perspectives. We conducted a facility-based cross-sectional survey in four government hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Junior doctors with experience in rural postings were interviewed to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, work and living experience at the rural facilities, and associations with professional and social networks. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with rural retention. Of 308 respondents, 74% reported having served each term of their rural postings without interruptions. The main reasons for absenteeism reported by those who interrupted rural postings were formal training opportunities (65%), family commitments (41%), and a miscellaneous group of others (17%). Almost half of the respondents reported unmanageable workloads. Most (96%) faced challenges in their last rural posting, such as physically unsafe environments (70%), verbally abusive behaviour by patients/caregivers (67%) and absenteeism by colleagues that impacted them (48%). Respondents who did not serve their entire rural posting were less likely to report an unmanageable workload than respondents who did (AOR 0.39, 95% CI 0.22–0.70). Respondents with connections to influential people in the local community had a 2.4 times higher chance of serving in rural facilities without interruption than others (AOR 2.40, 95% CI 1.26–4.57). Our findings demonstrate that absenteeism is not universal and depends upon doctors’ socio-political networks. Policy interventions rarely target unsupportive or threatening behaviour by caregivers and community members, a pivotal disincentive to doctors’ willingness to work in underserved rural areas. Policy responses must promote opportunities for doctors with weak networks who are willing to attend work with appropriate support.
Prevalence, trends, and inequality in noncommunicable diseases in Bangladesh: Evidence from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys 2011 and 2017–2018
Ali, Masum; Amin, Md. Ruhul; Jarl, Johan; Saha, Sanjib. 2024
Ali, Masum; Amin, Md. Ruhul; Jarl, Johan; Saha, Sanjib. 2024
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We investigated the change of the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh from 2011 to 2018 across different socioeconomic groups as well as the factors associated with the changes in prevalence. We used the two waves of the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 2011 and 2017–2018. Modified Poisson regression model was used to estimate the prevalence rate and ratio of NCDs and to test the association with different demographic and socioeconomic variables. The study found an upward trend of NCDs from 2011 to 2017 in which overweight and obesity, hypertension, and diabetes increased by 1.8, 1.5, and 1.1 times, respectively. In 2011, people from the richest households had 5.6 higher odds of being overweight compared to the poorest, which was reduced to 3.0 in 2017. However, the increment for overweight and hypertension was the highest among the poor and manual workers from 2011 to 2017. The age-adjusted prevalence ratio of overweight increased 4.4 times for the poorest, compared to 1.7 times for the richest. For manual workers, overweight increased 3.8 times, whereas hypertension increased by 2.4 times. The pooled analysis revealed that participants from the richest households have the highest risk of NCDs, with 3.3 times for overweight, 2.3 times for diabetes, and 1.3 times for hypertension, compared to the poorest. However, the prevalence of NCDs is rising quickly among the low socioeconomic groups in Bangladesh, narrowing the gap with higher socioeconomic groups. Our findings call for immediate policy interventions and targeted programs to curb NCD escalation in Bangladesh.
Food systems interventions for nutrition: Lessons from six program evaluations in Africa and South Asia
Neufeld, Lynnette M.; Nordhagen, Stella; Leroy, Jef L.; Aberman, Noora-Lisa; Barnett, Inka; Wouabe, Eric Djimeu. 2024
Neufeld, Lynnette M.; Nordhagen, Stella; Leroy, Jef L.; Aberman, Noora-Lisa; Barnett, Inka; Wouabe, Eric Djimeu. 2024
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While there is growing global momentum behind food systems strategies to improve planetary and human health—including nutrition—there is limited evidence of what types of food systems interventions work. Evaluating these types of interventions is challenging due to their complex and dynamic nature and lack of fit with standard evaluation methods. In this paper, we draw on a portfolio of six evaluations of food systems interventions in Africa and South Asia that were intended to improve nutrition. We identify key methodological challenges and formulate recommendations to improve the quality of such studies. We highlight five challenges: a lack of evidence base to justify the intervention; the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the interventions; addressing attribution; collecting or accessing accurate and timely data; and defining and measuring appropriate outcomes. In addition to more specific guidance, we identify six cross-cutting recommendations, including a need to use multiple and diverse methods and flexible designs. We also note that these evaluation challenges present opportunities to develop new methods and highlight several specific needs in this space.
Can gender- and nutrition-sensitive agricultural programs improve resilience? Medium-term impacts of an intervention in Bangladesh
Hoddinott, John; Ahmed, Akhter; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Rakshit, Deboleena. Washington, DC 2023
Hoddinott, John; Ahmed, Akhter; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Rakshit, Deboleena. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.137085
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There are few studies that rigorously assess how agricultural and nutrition related interventions enhance resilience and even fewer that incorporate a gendered dimension in their analysis. Mindful of this, we address three knowledge gaps: (1) Whether agricultural interventions aimed at diversifying income sources and improving nutrition have sustainable impacts (on asset bases, consumption, gender-specific outcomes and women’s empowerment, and on diets) that persist after the intervention ends; (2) whether such interventions are protective when shocks occur? and (3) whether these interventions promote gender-sensitive resilience. We answer these questions using unique data, a four-year post-endline follow up survey of households from a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a nutrition-and-gender-sensitive agricultural intervention in Bangladesh. We find that treatment arms that included both agriculture and nutrition training had sustainable effects on real per capita consumption, women’s empowerment (as measured by the pro-WEAI), and asset holdings measured four years after the original intervention ended. Treatment arms that included both agriculture and nutrition training (with or without gender sensitization) reduced the likelihood that households undertook more severe forms of coping strategies and reduced the likelihood that household per capita consumption fell, in real terms, by more than five percent between in the four years following the end of the intervention. The treatment arm that only provided training in agriculture had positive impacts at endline but these had largely faded away four years later. Our results suggest that bundling nutrition and agriculture training may contribute to resilience as well as to sustained impacts on consumption, women’s empowerment, and asset holdings in the medium term. These have implications for the design of future gender- and nutrition-sensitive agricultural programs.
Development and Validation of Women’s Empowerment in Migration Index (WEMI)
Sufian, Farha D.; Alvi, Muzna Fatima; Ratna, Nazmun N.; Ringler, Claudia; Choudhury, Zahid ul Arefin. Washington, DC 2023
Sufian, Farha D.; Alvi, Muzna Fatima; Ratna, Nazmun N.; Ringler, Claudia; Choudhury, Zahid ul Arefin. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.137066
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There is little evidence on the association between women’s migration, empowerment, and well-being, driven in part due to difficulty in measuring empowerment in the migration context. To better understand these linkages, we developed a Women’s Empowerment in Migration Index (WEMI) and validated it with survey of 1019 returnee female migrants in Bangladesh, who had returned after working internationally, mostly from countries in West Asia. By incorporating indicators of subjective well-being from migration literature into measures of empowerment, our paper advances research over earlier assessments of women’s experiences in the migration process beyond seemingly objective indicators, such as income, health, and economic welfare. We find that 14% of all migrant women in our sample could be classified as being empowered. Lack of membership in groups, restricted mobility, and lack of asset ownership are the largest contributors to migrant women’s disempowerment in our sample. We find that WEMI is strongly correlated with other measures of well-being, including mental health and livelihood-efficacy. Women with higher empowerment scores are also less likely to experience discriminatory labor practices and unsafe work conditions. With broad applicability to migrants from low and middle-income countries, WEMI can be used as a tool, helping to identify sources of disempowerment, and enabling stakeholders to develop interventions targeting the welfare of women migrant workers.
Financial access and digital services within agri-food value chains in Bangladesh
Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Islam, Saiful; Wagner, Julia. Washington, DC 2023
Ambler, Kate; Bloem, Jeffrey R.; de Brauw, Alan; Islam, Saiful; Wagner, Julia. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.137050
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Agri-food value chains are a crucial element of food systems and local economies around the world. Existing estimates show that intermediary agri-food value chain actors—the operating enterprises that transport and transform food from the farmgate to retailers—account for 60 to 75 percent of value-added produced by the entire agricultural sector of an economy.
Evaluation of a livestock financing project in Bangladesh: Navigating operational, environmental, and behavioral challenges
Ambler, Kate; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; de Brauw, Alan; Uddin, Mohammad Riad. Washington, DC 2023
Ambler, Kate; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; de Brauw, Alan; Uddin, Mohammad Riad. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.137043
Abstract | View
Smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries have limited access to finance, due to the pau city of banks and other financial institutions in rural areas. As a result, banks and other formal financial institutions tend not to know much about farming as a business, and therefore they hesitate to extend credit to farmers. Such reluctance is often attributed to the elevated costs and risks linked with small, geographically dispersed farms, as well as the farmers' lack of collateral.
Microfinance has emerged as a crucial intervention in bridging this gap. However, the fixed and rigid repayment structures of microfinance institutions (MFIs) often clash with the seasonal nature of agricul tural production. This mismatch creates financial strain for farmers, who must manage cash flows that are inherently unpredictable due to factors like weather variability and market fluctuations. These challenges underscore the need for more flexible and tailored financial solutions.
Microfinance has emerged as a crucial intervention in bridging this gap. However, the fixed and rigid repayment structures of microfinance institutions (MFIs) often clash with the seasonal nature of agricul tural production. This mismatch creates financial strain for farmers, who must manage cash flows that are inherently unpredictable due to factors like weather variability and market fluctuations. These challenges underscore the need for more flexible and tailored financial solutions.
Understanding intra-household food allocation rules: Evidence from a randomized social safety net intervention in Bangladesh
Coleman, Fiona M.; Ahmed, Akhter; Roy, Shalini; Hoddinott, John. Washington, DC 2023
Coleman, Fiona M.; Ahmed, Akhter; Roy, Shalini; Hoddinott, John. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.137047
Abstract | View
Evidence shows social protection can improve diets, but little is understood about how effects vary within a household or what factors determine how food is allocated across different household members. We use individual food intake data from two randomized control trials to estimate intrahousehold dietary impacts of cash or food transfers, with or without nutrition behavior change communication (BCC), in two regions of Bangladesh. We assess whether intrahousehold impacts 1) are consistent with different allocation "rules" hypothesized in the literature, 2) differ by transfer modality, provision of BCC, or regional context. Results indicate that households distribute food equally among their members (men, women, boys, and girls), both in absolute terms and in proportion to individual-specific requirements and deficits. Patterns are similar across regions and do not depend on transfer modality or whether BCC is provided. Findings have implications for designing nutrition-sensitive social protection with different target groups prioritized.
Household dairy production, dairy intake, and anthropometric outcomes in rural Bangladesh
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Hoddinott, John F.. 2023
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Hoddinott, John F.. 2023
DOI : 10.1016/j.foodpol.2023.102567
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We assess whether ownership of dairy cows is associated with a greater likelihood of consuming dairy products and with child anthropometric status in rural Bangladesh. Consistent with the assumption of imperfectly functioning markets for dairy products, ownership of dairy cows increases the likelihood that a child 6–59 months consumes milk by 7.7 percentage points with no difference in this association between boys and girls. This association nearly doubles in magnitude when we consider households that own a dairy cow that produced milk in the last year. This result is robust to the controls we use and the way in which we measure dairy cow ownership. Even when we saturate our model with child, maternal, household, wealth, as well as village fixed effects, we retain an association between dairy cow ownership and height-for-age z scores (HAZ) that is meaningful in magnitude – 0.13 standard deviations – and statistically significant at the one percent level. For children in the 12–23.9 month age group, ownership of a dairy cow is associated with a 0.37 SD increase in HAZ and a reduction of 11.3 percentage points in stunting. There is no statistically significant association with weight-for-height or wasting. These associations do not differ between boys and girls.
Analyzing hypertension and diabetes mellitus status among Bangladeshi adults: evidence from Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS) 2017–18 data
Hasan, Md. Rokibul; Islam, Md. Momin; Noor, Farha Musharrat; Ali, Masum; Alam, Md. Mashud . Article in press
Hasan, Md. Rokibul; Islam, Md. Momin; Noor, Farha Musharrat; Ali, Masum; Alam, Md. Mashud . Article in press
DOI : 10.1007/s10389-023-01987-1
Sea-level rise and human migration
Hauer, Mathew E.; Fussell, Elizabeth; Mueller, Valerie; Burkett, Maxine; Call, Maia; Abel, Kali; McLeman, Robert; Wrathall, David. 2020
Hauer, Mathew E.; Fussell, Elizabeth; Mueller, Valerie; Burkett, Maxine; Call, Maia; Abel, Kali; McLeman, Robert; Wrathall, David. 2020
DOI : 10.1038/s43017-019-0002-9
Transfers, nutrition programming, and economic well-being: Experimental evidence from Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter U.; Hoddinott, John; Roy, Shalini; Sraboni, Esha. 2024
Ahmed, Akhter U.; Hoddinott, John; Roy, Shalini; Sraboni, Esha. 2024
DOI : 10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106414
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Many cash transfer programs include complementary nutrition training, with the aim of encouraging households to use transfer resources toward improving child nutrition. Evidence indicates that these bundled programs, if intensive and well-implemented, can be effective in improving child nutritional status. However, little is known about how adding nutrition training to transfer programs affects their economic impacts. In particular, few studies have assessed whether nutrition programming may induce reallocation of transfer resources from physical capital to human capital. Scarce evidence also exists as to whether these tradeoffs depend on the transfer modality. We study a pilot program called the Transfer Modality Research Initiative in Bangladesh (TMRI), designed as a randomized controlled trial. TMRI provided cash or food transfers, with or without intensive group-based nutrition behavior change communication (BCC), to mothers of young children in poor rural households. We find that adding nutrition BCC to cash or food transfers leads to larger impacts on both consumption and assets – potentially surprising, given that the transfer value is unchanged. Analysis of mechanisms suggests that these effects occur through the BCC inducing increases in income generation, through investments in livelihoods. Suggestive evidence indicates that the effects of TMRI’s BCC are plausibly due to the intensive group-based format, which increased social capital for participant women and their household members, as well as improved participant women’s agency and self-confidence, knowledge, and input into household decisions. Results indicate that adding nutrition BCC to cash or food transfer programs do not necessarily induce a tradeoff between investing in human capital versus physical capital, but can rather strengthen impacts on both if appropriately designed.
The political economy of bundling socio-technical innovations to transform agri-food systems
Barrett, Christopher B.. Washington, DC; Oxford, UK 2023
Barrett, Christopher B.. Washington, DC; Oxford, UK 2023
DOI : 10.1093/oso/9780198882121.003.0009
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Agri-food systems transformation requires accelerated innovations to address multiple economic, environmental and health objectives. No innovation serves everyone’s interests. Political opposition to innovations is therefore inevitable. Promotion of agrifood systems innovations requires overcoming such opposition. One strategy is to bundle multiple technological, socio-cultural, policy, and/or institutional innovations to build political coalitions sufficient to champion bundled innovation that might not suffice to advance one-off innovations. Bundling can translate the potential Pareto improvements of individual innovations into actual Pareto improvements more likely to enjoy political support and advance multiple societal objectives simultaneously. This chapter lays out conceptually why bundling is therefore important for the political economy of innovation to transform agri-food systems. It then illustrates the logic using three cases from Asian agricultural development: China’s Science and Technology Backyards program, a comparison of genetic advances in Green Revolution and golden rice, and the contrasting cases of Bt brinjal in India and Bangladesh.
Where women in agri-food systems are at highest climate risk: A methodology for mapping climate-agriculture-gender inequality hotspots
Lecoutere, Els; Mishra, Avni; Singaraju, Niyati; Koo, Jawoo; Azzarri, Carlo; Chanana, Nitya; Nico, Gianluigi; Puskur, Ranjitha . 2023
Lecoutere, Els; Mishra, Avni; Singaraju, Niyati; Koo, Jawoo; Azzarri, Carlo; Chanana, Nitya; Nico, Gianluigi; Puskur, Ranjitha . 2023
DOI : 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1197809
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Climate change poses a greater threat for more exposed and vulnerable countries, communities and social groups. People whose livelihood depends on the agriculture and food sector, especially in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), face significant risk. In contexts with gendered roles in agri-food systems or where structural constraints to gender equality underlie unequal access to resources and services and constrain women's agency, local climate hazards and stressors, such as droughts, floods, or shortened crop-growing seasons, tend to negatively affect women more than men and women's adaptive capacities tend to be more restrained than men's . Transformation towards just and sustainable agri-food systems in the face of climate change will not only depend on reducing but also on averting aggravated gender inequality in agri-food systems. In this paper, we developed and applied an accessible and versatile methodology to identify and map localities where climate change poses high risk especially for women in agri-food systems because of gendered exposure and vulnerability. We label these localities climate-agriculture-gender inequality hotspots. Applying our methodology to LMICs reveals that the countries at highest risk are majorly situated in Africa and Asia. Applying our methodology for agricultural activity-specific hotspot subnational areas to four focus countries, Mali, Zambia, Pakistan and Bangladesh, for instance, identifies a cluster of districts in Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions in Bangladesh as a hotspot for rice. The relevance and urgency of identifying localities where climate change hits agri-food systems hardest and is likely to negatively affect population groups or sectors that are particularly vulnerable is increasingly acknowledged in the literature and, in the spirit of leaving no one behind, in climate and development policy arenas. Hotspot maps can guide the allocation of scarce resources to most at-risk populations. The climate-agriculture-gender inequality hotspot maps show where women involved in agri-food systems are at high climate risk while signaling that reducing this risk requires addressing the structural barriers to gender equality.
Examining the gender digital divide: A case study from rural Bangladesh
Sufian, Farha D.; Nico, Gianluigi; Azzarri, Carlo. Washington, DC 2023
Sufian, Farha D.; Nico, Gianluigi; Azzarri, Carlo. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136919
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Women farmers in Bangladesh face several challenges when it comes to accessing technology and information, and this limits their ability to improve their agricultural productivity and enhance their livelihoods. The gendered digital divide is a significant contributor to inequities in agriculture and has important implications for women’s empowerment. Lack of access to information affects their ability to make informed decisions, access markets, and secure their rights. This policy note summarizes research designed to identify the barriers female farmers in Bangladesh face in accessing technology and information so that future policies and initiatives can address these challenges and, in so doing, promote gender equality and the empowerment of rural women.
Diversified agriculture leads to diversified diets: Panel data evidence from Bangladesh
Mastura, Tamanna; Begum, Ismat Ara; Kishore, Avinash; Jackson, Tamara; Woodhill, Jim; Chatterjee, Kuhu; Alam, Mohammad Jahangir . 2023
Mastura, Tamanna; Begum, Ismat Ara; Kishore, Avinash; Jackson, Tamara; Woodhill, Jim; Chatterjee, Kuhu; Alam, Mohammad Jahangir . 2023
DOI : 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1044105
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This study used a panel data model to examine the relationship between agricultural diversification and dietary diversity of farm households across three waves of nationally representative Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey data (BIHS- 2011-12, 2015, and 2018). Prior research measured diversification in terms of crop cultivation and livestock rearing. However, this study takes a different approach to measuring agricultural diversification by combining the three major sectors—crop, fish, and livestock production—at the farm household level to evaluate the impact of such agricultural diversification on the diversification of diets in households. The panel data allows us to establish that agricultural production diversification has a significantly positive effect on the dietary diversity of farm households. Moreover, other important factors that impact agricultural diversification to improve dietary diversity, like women’s employment, market access, engagement with non-farm income sources, and access to information also have a strong association in improving the dietary status, food and nutritional security of households. Participation in the market helps farming households to become more commercially oriented but negatively affects the dietary diversification of the households. However, participation in non-farming activities was reported to have a significant positive influence on dietary diversity, though not as much as agricultural diversification. From the perspective of policy that requires nutrition into consideration, the findings suggest to focus on providing support for diversified farming systems can directly increase the nutritionally enriched dietary intake, increasing the employability of women. Promoting market participation through modern infrastructural facilities should be prioritized to improve the current scenarios.
India's rice export restrictions and BIMSTEC countries: Implications and recommendations
Kamar, Abul; Roy, Devesh; Pradhan, Mamata; Saroj, Sunil. Washington, DC 2023
Kamar, Abul; Roy, Devesh; Pradhan, Mamata; Saroj, Sunil. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136875
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The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) brings together five South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and two Southeast Asian countries (Myanmar and Thailand). Recent events have raised global concerns on food security, including for BIMSTEC countries; these events include Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Ukraine, India’s prohibition on the export of non-basmati white rice, and its 20 percent export duty on parboiled rice. This policy note spells out the likely impact of one of these events, that is, India’s restrictions on rice exports to its fellow BIMSTEC nations.
Trade moves food from surplus to deficit regions and hence is crucial for maintaining a stable food supply. Historically, the global supply of cereals has been stable (Bradford et al. 2022); this implies that trade (or the lack of it) can be directly mapped onto area-specific food insecurity. At the same time, shocks leading to trade disruption can pose serious challenges, particularly for countries with high import penetration in food.
Trade moves food from surplus to deficit regions and hence is crucial for maintaining a stable food supply. Historically, the global supply of cereals has been stable (Bradford et al. 2022); this implies that trade (or the lack of it) can be directly mapped onto area-specific food insecurity. At the same time, shocks leading to trade disruption can pose serious challenges, particularly for countries with high import penetration in food.
Policy preferences of experts seeking to raise and stabilise farm incomes in the Eastern Gangetic Plains
Cooper, Bethany; Crase, Lin; Burton, Michael; Rigby, Dan; Alam, Mohammad Jahangir; Kishore, Avinash . 2023
Cooper, Bethany; Crase, Lin; Burton, Michael; Rigby, Dan; Alam, Mohammad Jahangir; Kishore, Avinash . 2023
DOI : 10.1111/1467-8489.12511
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Poverty is endemic in the highly populated Eastern Gangetic Plains where agriculture is critical to more than half the population. However, the mechanisms to support agriculture for development are contested. For example, some have advocated a strong role for government support and assistance due to market weaknesses, while others have promoted the need for more market-oriented approaches. We use an elicitation process focussed on expert policymaking communities, employing stated preference techniques to explore these options. Differences in perceptions about the effectiveness of policies and their delivery are reported between countries, while also empirically examining the influence of the respondents' organisational background. The results show support for policies that improve farmers' access to inputs, especially when delivered by private sector actors. The research provides an important contribution to the literature on policies for agricultural development.
Integrated aquatic and terrestrial food production enhances micronutrient and economic productivity for nutrition-sensitive food systems
Ignowski, Liz; Belton, Ben; Ali, Hazrat; Thilsted, Shakuntala Haraksingh . 2023
Ignowski, Liz; Belton, Ben; Ali, Hazrat; Thilsted, Shakuntala Haraksingh . 2023
DOI : 10.1038/s43016-023-00840-8
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Integrated aquaculture–agriculture (IAA) is a form of crop diversification where aquatic and terrestrial foods are grown together on a single parcel of land. We compare economic and nutrient productivity per hectare for 12 distinct IAA combinations, identified from a representative survey of 721 farms in southern Bangladesh. Just under half of households integrate agriculture into their aquaculture production. Regression analyses show positive associations between the integration of terrestrial foods into aquatic farming systems and nutrient productivity, but that nutrient productivity is partly disconnected from economic productivity. However, we find that production of specific combinations of aquatic foods and vegetables can simultaneously improve nutrient productivity and economic productivity, thereby promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA). The approach demonstrated here can be applied to the design of NSA programmes that are important for realizing nutrition-sensitive food systems.
Shrimp value chains in Bangladesh: A scoping study of possible research interventions
Kabir, Razin Iqbal; Narayanan, Sudha; Belton, Ben; Hernandez, Ricardo; Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul. Washington, DC 2023
Kabir, Razin Iqbal; Narayanan, Sudha; Belton, Ben; Hernandez, Ricardo; Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136869
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Shrimp is Bangladesh’s main agricultural export and makes a substantial contribution to the economy of southern Bangladesh, but the sector has a checkered history. Bangladesh’s shrimp production and exports have been in steady decline, since peaking in the early 2010’s. Most shrimp exports from Bangladesh are used by the food service and niche ethnic markets in Europe.
The complex nature of shrimp supply chains in Bangladesh, comprised of hundreds of thousands of small polyculture farms and tens of thousands of small traders, make it difficult to implement tracea bility and certification initiatives – now a prerequisite for entry into most supermarket supply chains.
This report provides an overview of the sector and the challenges it faces, drawing on secondary and survey data, reviews of government reports and academic literature. We also report the findings of an expert consultation conducted to identify key constraints and potential solutions.
The consensus among industry stakeholders who were part of the expert consultations is that issues related to the supply and quality of shrimp seed and pond management practices represent some of the most pressing, yet relatively simple-to-solve challenges currently faced by the sector. This would serve as the foundation for establishing traceability and certification processes. Previous interventions aimed at upgrading production practices (such as promoting stocking of disease-free shrimp seed) and facilitating disintermediation and transparency in the supply chain (such as by establishing producer groups, shrimp collection centers, and contracts with processors), have met with limited success. We outline potential interventions and partners that might offer scalable solutions enabling small shrimp farmers to access global markets.
The complex nature of shrimp supply chains in Bangladesh, comprised of hundreds of thousands of small polyculture farms and tens of thousands of small traders, make it difficult to implement tracea bility and certification initiatives – now a prerequisite for entry into most supermarket supply chains.
This report provides an overview of the sector and the challenges it faces, drawing on secondary and survey data, reviews of government reports and academic literature. We also report the findings of an expert consultation conducted to identify key constraints and potential solutions.
The consensus among industry stakeholders who were part of the expert consultations is that issues related to the supply and quality of shrimp seed and pond management practices represent some of the most pressing, yet relatively simple-to-solve challenges currently faced by the sector. This would serve as the foundation for establishing traceability and certification processes. Previous interventions aimed at upgrading production practices (such as promoting stocking of disease-free shrimp seed) and facilitating disintermediation and transparency in the supply chain (such as by establishing producer groups, shrimp collection centers, and contracts with processors), have met with limited success. We outline potential interventions and partners that might offer scalable solutions enabling small shrimp farmers to access global markets.
Increasing production diversity and diet quality: Evidence from Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Ghostlaw, Julie; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma. Article in Press
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Ghostlaw, Julie; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma. Article in Press
DOI : 10.1111/ajae.12427
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In the context of rural Bangladesh, we assess whether agriculture training alone, nutrition behavior communication change (BCC) alone, combined agriculture training and nutrition BCC, or agriculture training and nutrition BCC combined with gender sensitization improve: (a) production diversity, either on household fields or through crop, livestock, or aquaculture activities carried out near the family homestead; and (b) diet diversity and the quality of household diets. All treatment arms were implemented by government employees. Implementation quality was high. No treatment increased production diversification of crops grown on fields. Treatment arms with agricultural training did increase the number of different crops grown in homestead gardens and the likelihood of any egg, dairy, or fish production but the magnitudes of these effect sizes were small. All agricultural treatment arms had, in percentage terms, large effects on measures of levels of homestead production. However, because baseline levels of production were low, the magnitude of these changes in absolute terms was modest. Nearly all treatment arms improved measures of food consumption and diet with the largest effects found when nutrition and agriculture training were combined. Relative to treatments combining agriculture and nutrition training, we find no significant impact of adding the gender sensitization on our measures of production diversity or diet quality. Interventions that combine agricultural training and nutrition BCC can improve both production diversity and diet quality, but they are not a panacea. They can, however, contribute toward better diets of rural households.
Food systems governance e-course – SHiFT work package 5 evaluation report
De Groote, Bram; Olaerts, Astrid; Herens, Marion; Dengerink, Just; Namugumya Shenute, Brenda; ten Hove, Hermine. Washington, DC 2023
De Groote, Bram; Olaerts, Astrid; Herens, Marion; Dengerink, Just; Namugumya Shenute, Brenda; ten Hove, Hermine. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136849
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The food systems approach is increasingly being used to understand the dynamics of how food is produced and consumed, with an optimal outcome for human health, social justice, economic endeavors, and the preservation of planetary resources. Since the United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) in September 2021, the food systems approach has become central to policy and practice of many international development and research organizations, multilateral organizations, and in (national) programs and policies aiming at improving food and nutrition security.
Availability of national polices, programmes, and survey-based coverage data to track nutrition interventions in South Asia
Neupane, Sumanta; Jangid, Manita; Scott, Samuel P.; Kim, Sunny S.; Murira, Zivai; Heidkamp, Rebecca; Carducci, Bianca; Menon, Purnima. 2024
Neupane, Sumanta; Jangid, Manita; Scott, Samuel P.; Kim, Sunny S.; Murira, Zivai; Heidkamp, Rebecca; Carducci, Bianca; Menon, Purnima. 2024
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13555
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Progress to improve nutrition among women, infants and children in South Asia has fallen behind the pace needed to meet established global targets. Renewed political commitment and monitoring of nutrition interventions are required to improve coverage and quality of care. Our study aimed to assess the availability of national nutrition policies, programmes, and coverage data of nutrition interventions for women, children, and adolescents in eight countries in South Asia. We reviewed relevant policy and programme documents, examined questionnaires used in the most recent rounds of 20 nationally representative surveys, and generated an evidence gap map on the availability of policies, programmes, and survey data to track progress on coverage of globally recommended nutrition interventions. Current policies and programmes in South Asian countries addressed almost all the recommended nutrition interventions targeted at women, children, and adolescents. There was a strong policy focus in all countries, except Maldives, on health system platforms such as antenatal and postnatal care and child growth and development. Survey data on nutrition intervention coverage was most available in India and Nepal, while Bangladesh and Bhutan had the least. Though countries in South Asia have committed to national nutrition policies and strategies, national surveys had substantial data gaps, precluding progress tracking of nutrition intervention coverage. Greater attention and effort are needed for multisectoral collaboration to promote and strengthen nutrition data systems.
The impact of shallow tubewells and boro rice on food security in Bangladesh
Hossain, Mahabub. Washington, DC 2009
Hossain, Mahabub. Washington, DC 2009
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Bangladesh has made notable progress in achieving food security, despite extreme population pressures, limited land resources, and an agrarian structure dominated by small and tenant farmers. After two decades of sluggish performance prior to the late 1980s, the production of rice—the dominant staple food—has increased much faster than the population. The development of minor irrigation, particularly private, investment-based expansion of shallow tubewells, has contributed to this impressive performance, and was an outcome of the government’s market liberalization policy for irrigation equipment in the late 1980s. This policy promoted rapid expansion of irrigated “boro” rice farming in the dry season. The fast diffusion of boro rice in the rain-fed, low-yielding “aus” rice area contributed to accelerated growth in rice productivity, a reduction in the unit cost of production, and a decline in real rice prices. Together, these factors have been a major factor behind attainment of food security and moderately reduced poverty in Bangladesh over the last two decades.
Proceedings of the national workshop on food-based strategies for improving nutrition in Bangladesh, April 26-27, 1998
Iqbal, Anwar, ed.; del Ninno, Carlo, ed.; Thilsted, Shakuntala Haraksingh, ed.. Dhaka, Bangladesh; Washington, DC 1999
Iqbal, Anwar, ed.; del Ninno, Carlo, ed.; Thilsted, Shakuntala Haraksingh, ed.. Dhaka, Bangladesh; Washington, DC 1999
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This workshop on “Food-Based Strategies for Improving Nutrition in Bangladesh” has been organized as a follow up to the “International Workshop on Prevention and Control of Micronutrient Malnutrition through Food-Based Action in the SAARC Countries” held in Dhaka in November 1997. During that workshop it was recognized that micronutrient malnutrition is a serious problem in the SAARC countries and that food-based approaches play a vital role in the reduction of malnutrition. It was also suggested to conduct regional workshops on the progress of food-based approaches for improving nutritional status.
Three criteria for establishing the usefulness of biotechnology for reducing micronutrient malnutrition
Bouis, Howarth E.. 2002
Bouis, Howarth E.. 2002
DOI : 10.1177/156482650202300405
Transformation of the feed supply segment of the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh
Ali, Hazrat; Belton, Ben; Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul; Murshed-e-Jahan, Khondker. 2023
Ali, Hazrat; Belton, Ben; Haque, Mohammad Mahfujul; Murshed-e-Jahan, Khondker. 2023
DOI : 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.739897
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The rapid growth of aquaculture in Bangladesh over the past three decades has been facilitated by increasing supplementary feed use and increasing numbers of feed suppliers, but little is known about the organization and behavior of the feed supply segment of aquaculture value chain. We conducted a comprehensive survey with 79 feed suppliers of two types: ‘dealers’ linked to feed companies (n = 34) and independent retailers (n = 45), in the seven main aquaculture producing districts of southern Bangladesh in 2021 to address this knowledge gap. We found the following. (1) Over the past 10 years, the number of traders increased 70% and the volume of feed traded almost doubled. (2) Feed supply is shifting from traditional agricultural byproducts to formulated feeds (47% of total feed), and floating feeds as a subset of those (54% of formulated feed), contributing to increasing farm productivity. (3) The formulated fish feed market in Bangladesh is diverse, but quite concentrated. Feed suppliers sold formulated feed produced by 35 companies, with eight companies accounting for 74% of sales. (4) Feed handling practices are efficient. Traders sell feeds quickly (average turnover time 10 days) and storage practices are adequate to maintain quality. (5) No traders reported experiencing any waste or loss of feed during their most recent completed transaction, and only 5% of traders reported losing a small portion of feed (1.7%) during transport. (6) The average profit margin earned by feed suppliers is a modest 6.2%. (7) Feed trading creates substantial employment: 43,937 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs in the seven surveyed districts. In sum, the feed supply segment of the aquaculture value chain in southern Bangladesh is dynamic, well-developed, and relatively competitive and efficient. This finding is contrary to the conventional wisdom, which often portrays the sector as inefficient and beset by problems.
Diets of men and women in rural Bangladesh are equitable but suboptimal
Coleman, Fiona M.; Ahmed, Akhter U.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Hoddinott, John. 2023
Coleman, Fiona M.; Ahmed, Akhter U.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Hoddinott, John. 2023
DOI : 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.100107
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Background: Recent evidence suggests that diet inequities between men and women may have diminished within rural Bangladeshi households. However, this has not been directly tested with appropriate physiologic adjustments and it is unclear whether changes have occurred across socioeconomic strata. Understanding intrahousehold dietary patterns at different points on the income and food-security distribution in rural Bangladesh—particularly, within ultrapoor and farm households—is important for appropriate design of gender-sensitive and nutrition-sensitive interventions, which often target these groups.
Objective: Using 2012 and 2016 data, we aimed to examine gender differences in diet quantity and quality among ultrapoor and farm households in rural Bangladesh.
Methods: The study used baseline 24-h dietary data from 2 randomized control trials conducted in rural Bangladesh: the Transfer Modality Research Initiative (ultrapoor households) and the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages project (farm households). Ordinary least squares regressions with household-level fixed effects tested for gender differences among constructed diet measures, such as caloric intake, caloric adequacy ratio, dietary diversity score, global diet quality score, and probability of consuming moderate or high levels of healthy food groups.
Results: In both samples, on average, women consumed fewer calories than men in the same households but consumed near equal or more in reference to their caloric needs. Women scored <1% lower than men on diet quality indicators and showed similar probabilities to men of consuming healthy foods. Most men and women in both samples were calorically inadequate (>60%) and recorded poor diet quality scores that indicated high risk of nutrient inadequacy and chronic disease (>95%).
Conclusions: In both ultrapoor and farm households, although men record higher intake quantities and diet quality scores, the apparent male advantage disappear when energy requirements and the magnitudes of difference are considered. Diets of men and women in these rural Bangladeshi households are equitable but suboptimal.
Objective: Using 2012 and 2016 data, we aimed to examine gender differences in diet quantity and quality among ultrapoor and farm households in rural Bangladesh.
Methods: The study used baseline 24-h dietary data from 2 randomized control trials conducted in rural Bangladesh: the Transfer Modality Research Initiative (ultrapoor households) and the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages project (farm households). Ordinary least squares regressions with household-level fixed effects tested for gender differences among constructed diet measures, such as caloric intake, caloric adequacy ratio, dietary diversity score, global diet quality score, and probability of consuming moderate or high levels of healthy food groups.
Results: In both samples, on average, women consumed fewer calories than men in the same households but consumed near equal or more in reference to their caloric needs. Women scored <1% lower than men on diet quality indicators and showed similar probabilities to men of consuming healthy foods. Most men and women in both samples were calorically inadequate (>60%) and recorded poor diet quality scores that indicated high risk of nutrient inadequacy and chronic disease (>95%).
Conclusions: In both ultrapoor and farm households, although men record higher intake quantities and diet quality scores, the apparent male advantage disappear when energy requirements and the magnitudes of difference are considered. Diets of men and women in these rural Bangladeshi households are equitable but suboptimal.
Bangladesh’s agrifood system structure and drivers of transformation
Diao, Xinshen; Ellis, Mia; Pauw, Karl; Pradesha, Angga; Randriamamonjy, Josee; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2023
Diao, Xinshen; Ellis, Mia; Pauw, Karl; Pradesha, Angga; Randriamamonjy, Josee; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136791
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Bangladesh experienced strong annual economic growth of 6.6 percent between 2009 and 2019 (BBS 2021). While the global COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant growth slowdown in 2020, growth started to recover in 2021. However, the recovery was hampered by global commodity market disruptions related to the war in Ukraine beginning in 2022 and the global recession in 2023 (Arndt et al. 2023; Diao and Thurlow 2023). The World Bank (2023) projects growth of 5.2 percent for 2023 and 6.2 percent for 2024, which is slower than the country’s pre-pandemic growth rate. Rapid growth in the past has already led to significant structural shifts in Bangladesh’s economy along with a transformation within the agrifood system (AFS). In this brief, we unpack these trends and future projections further to understand how Bangladesh’s AFS is contributing to growth and transformation in the country.
Agricultural diversification and intra-household dietary diversity: Panel data analysis of farm households in Bangladesh
Alam, Mohammad Jahangir; Begum, Ismat Ara; Mastura, Tamanna; Kishore, Avinash; Woodhill, Jim; Chatterjee, Kuhu; Jackson, Tamara. 2023
Alam, Mohammad Jahangir; Begum, Ismat Ara; Mastura, Tamanna; Kishore, Avinash; Woodhill, Jim; Chatterjee, Kuhu; Jackson, Tamara. 2023
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0287321
Abstract | View
This paper investigates the associations between agricultural diversification and dietary diversity among men, women and children of farm households in Bangladesh. Using three waves of nationally representative Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS- 2011–12, 2015 and 2018) data and a panel data model, the study found that agricultural production diversification can emphasize the dietary diversification across the life cycle of farm household members. The balanced panel data reveals that agricultural production diversification has a statistically significant and positive impact on dietary diversity of individual members (men, women and children) of farm households. Moreover, other important factors that impact on agricultural diversification and improve dietary diversity like women’s education and employment, commercialization of farm households, access to non-farm income sources, and access to information facilities also have a strong association in improving dietary status, food and nutritional security as well. Although there is currently limited diversity in the diets of adult men, women and children of rural farm households, the situation can be improved over time with proper and consistent support. The findings suggest policy interventions should target not only agricultural diversification but also improve women’s education and on and off farm employment opportunities and facilitate better access to information for rural households. These recommendations can support improved dietary diversity for all household members under different settings.
Strengthening nutrition interventions during antenatal care improved maternal dietary diversity and child feeding practices in urban Bangladesh: Results of a quasi-experimental evaluation study
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Christopher, Anita; Ash, Deborah; Ireen, Santhia; Kabir, Rowshan; Mahmud, Zeba; Ali, Mohsin; Forissier, Thomas; Escobar-DeMarco, Jessica; Frongillo, Edward A.; Menon, Purnima. 2023
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Christopher, Anita; Ash, Deborah; Ireen, Santhia; Kabir, Rowshan; Mahmud, Zeba; Ali, Mohsin; Forissier, Thomas; Escobar-DeMarco, Jessica; Frongillo, Edward A.; Menon, Purnima. 2023
DOI : 10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.06.023
Abstract | View
Background: Bangladesh is urbanizing rapidly, facing challenges of malnutrition, low coverage and poor quality of urban nutrition services.
Objectives: We assessed the impact of integrating maternal, infant, and young child nutrition interventions, delivered at urban Maternal Neonatal and Child Health facilities, on maternal dietary diversity, iron-folic acid (IFA) and calcium consumption, and child feeding practices.
Methods: We used a quasi-experimental design with a non-random assignment of 20 health facilities in Dhaka to intensive and standard service arms. We conducted facility-based observations and community-based surveys at baseline (2020) and endline (2022) (n=2,455 observations and surveys with 1,678 pregnant [PW] or recently delivered women [RDW] at endline). We derived difference-in-difference (DID) estimates, adjusted for characteristics that differed at baseline or endline, and accounted for clustering.
Results: Exposure to antenatal care (ANC) was similar in both arms: two-thirds of RDW received ANC during the first trimester and three-fourths received ≥4 ANC check-ups.
Compared to the standard arm, a higher proportion of PW in the intensive arm received counselling on dietary diversity (DID: 45 percentage points [pp]), and a higher proportion of RDW received IFA (25pp) and calcium supplementation (19pp), adequate weight gain (44pp), and appropriate child feeding (27pp). Improvements were greater in the intensive than standard arm for number of food groups consumed (DID: 1.1 food groups) and minimum dietary diversity (23pp); no impact was observed for IFA and calcium consumption during pregnancy. Impacts were observed for early initiation (20pp), exclusive breastfeeding (45pp), introduction of solid or semi-solid foods (28pp), and egg and/or flesh food consumption (33pp) among children. Minimum dietary diversity and acceptable diet remained low in both arms.
Conclusions: Intensifying nutrition in government-aligned health services delivered by experienced NGO-run facilities is a feasible model to address the urban health gap, nutrition services coverage, and improved practices.
Objectives: We assessed the impact of integrating maternal, infant, and young child nutrition interventions, delivered at urban Maternal Neonatal and Child Health facilities, on maternal dietary diversity, iron-folic acid (IFA) and calcium consumption, and child feeding practices.
Methods: We used a quasi-experimental design with a non-random assignment of 20 health facilities in Dhaka to intensive and standard service arms. We conducted facility-based observations and community-based surveys at baseline (2020) and endline (2022) (n=2,455 observations and surveys with 1,678 pregnant [PW] or recently delivered women [RDW] at endline). We derived difference-in-difference (DID) estimates, adjusted for characteristics that differed at baseline or endline, and accounted for clustering.
Results: Exposure to antenatal care (ANC) was similar in both arms: two-thirds of RDW received ANC during the first trimester and three-fourths received ≥4 ANC check-ups.
Compared to the standard arm, a higher proportion of PW in the intensive arm received counselling on dietary diversity (DID: 45 percentage points [pp]), and a higher proportion of RDW received IFA (25pp) and calcium supplementation (19pp), adequate weight gain (44pp), and appropriate child feeding (27pp). Improvements were greater in the intensive than standard arm for number of food groups consumed (DID: 1.1 food groups) and minimum dietary diversity (23pp); no impact was observed for IFA and calcium consumption during pregnancy. Impacts were observed for early initiation (20pp), exclusive breastfeeding (45pp), introduction of solid or semi-solid foods (28pp), and egg and/or flesh food consumption (33pp) among children. Minimum dietary diversity and acceptable diet remained low in both arms.
Conclusions: Intensifying nutrition in government-aligned health services delivered by experienced NGO-run facilities is a feasible model to address the urban health gap, nutrition services coverage, and improved practices.
Comparing delivery channels to promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini. 2023
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini. 2023
DOI : 10.1016/j.foodpol.2023.102484
Abstract | View
We use a randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh to compare two models of delivering nutrition content jointly to husbands and wives: deploying female nutrition workers versus mostly male agriculture extension workers. Both approaches increased nutrition knowledge of men and women, household and individual diet quality, and women’s empowerment. Intervention effects on agriculture and nutrition knowledge, agricultural production diversity, dietary diversity, women’s empowerment, and gender parity do not significantly differ between models where nutrition workers versus agriculture extension workers provide the training. The exception is in an attitudes score, where results indicate same-sex agents may affect scores differently than opposite-sex agents. Our results suggest opposite-sex agents may not necessarily be less effective in providing training. In South Asia, where agricultural extension systems and the pipeline to those systems are male dominated, training men to deliver nutrition messages may offer a temporary solution to the shortage of fe male extension workers and offer opportunities to scale and promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture. However, in both models, we find evidence that the presence of mothers-in-law within households modifies the programs’ effectiveness on some nutrition, empowerment, and attitude measures, suggesting that accounting for other influential household members is a potential area for future programming.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vegetable farmers in Bangladesh
Alam, Mohammad Jahangir; Kabir, A. N.; Mastura, Tamanna; Kishore, Avinash; Jackson, Tamara; Begum, Ismat Ara. 2023
Alam, Mohammad Jahangir; Kabir, A. N.; Mastura, Tamanna; Kishore, Avinash; Jackson, Tamara; Begum, Ismat Ara. 2023
DOI : 10.1080/23311932.2023.2214432
Abstract | View
The COVID-19 pandemic not only imposed severe health risks but also raised major challenges to the economy, due to widespread and severe measures to control the spread of the disease. Food value chains were disrupted by restrictions of the movement of people and commodities, which had significant impacts on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Bangladeshi vegetable farmers. A total of 320 vegetable farmers were selected from the North-West region of Bangladesh. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected through a digital survey method. Analysis revealed that around 3–5% of the marketed surplus of the farms was reduced during the pandemic due to the disturbances. The majority of the farm households reported that there was a significant reduction in their family income and, as a consequence, around 38% of farm households had cut down on their food consumption during the pandemic. The farmers were found to follow different strategies to cope with the difficulties and respond to government initiatives to mitigate such impacts. Despite all the restrictions and risks, extension services were still available to help the farmers. On the basis of the findings, this study suggests the importance of collaborative participation of the relevant bodies to decrease the effects of COVID-19 on farm households by employing all available mechanisms and focusing more on identifying effective coping strategies that can be supported in the event of future shocks, for more sustainable and resilient food systems.
The prevalence and influencing factors of coexisting prediabetes and prehypertension among Bangladeshi adults
Yesmin, Maksuda; Ali, Masum; Saha, Sanjib . 2023
Yesmin, Maksuda; Ali, Masum; Saha, Sanjib . 2023
DOI : 10.1186/s12889-023-16090-z
Abstract | View
Background
Early detection of diabetes and hypertension is helpful to prevent and/or delay the onset of these diseases through proper interventions. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to know the prevalence of prediabetes and prehypertension and the factors associated with these conditions but people from developing countries including Bangladesh often remain undiagnosed and unaware of these conditions. In this study we investigate the prevalence of prediabetes and prehypertension and their associated factors in Bangladesh using nationally representative data.
Early detection of diabetes and hypertension is helpful to prevent and/or delay the onset of these diseases through proper interventions. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to know the prevalence of prediabetes and prehypertension and the factors associated with these conditions but people from developing countries including Bangladesh often remain undiagnosed and unaware of these conditions. In this study we investigate the prevalence of prediabetes and prehypertension and their associated factors in Bangladesh using nationally representative data.
Method
We used nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017–18 survey data, which included a total sample of 14,704 adults aged 18 years and more from whom blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose were collected. Chi-square test was used to examine the differences between sociodemographic and outcome variables. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with prediabetes and prehypertension.
Results
Overall, the prevalence of prediabetes and prehypertension was 8.6% with 14% of the sampled population having from prediabetes and prehypertension separately. Among the prediabetic and prehypertensive participants, one-fourth of the participant were from the richest families and around one-third were overweight/obese, while more than fifty percent had normal Body Mass Index (BMI) and completed secondary and higher education. In the univariate analysis, the richest wealth status (UOR 3.3, 95% CI: 2.46 -4.35) and overweight/obesity (UOR 3.2, 95% CI: 2.62–3.85) are the highest predictors for prediabetes and prehypertension. After adjusting the other variables, overweight/obesity remains the largest predictor for prediabetes and prehypertension (AOR:2.5, 95% CI:2.05–3.05). Further, people aged 31 and above and from the richest family had around 2 times and 1.8 times higher risk of being prediabetic and prehypertensive compared to the younger age people (18–30 years) and the poorest family (respectively).
Conclusion
The coexistence of prediabetes and prehypertension is an early sign of a greater burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the near future for Bangladesh. To reduce the higher burden of NCDs, our findings call for a multisectoral approach to identify the precondition of NCDs with particular attention to maintaining body weight.
Comprehensive approach for improving adherence to prenatal Iron and folic acid supplements based on intervention studies in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and India
Sanghvi, Tina; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Forissier, Thomas; Ghosh, Sebanti; Zafimanjaka, Maurice; Walissa, Tamirat; Mahmud, Zeba; Kim, Sunny S.. 2023
Sanghvi, Tina; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Forissier, Thomas; Ghosh, Sebanti; Zafimanjaka, Maurice; Walissa, Tamirat; Mahmud, Zeba; Kim, Sunny S.. 2023
DOI : 10.1177/03795721231179570
More is not enough: High quantity and high quality antenatal care are both needed to prevent low birthweight in South Asia
Neupane, Sumanta; Scott, Samuel; Piwoz, Ellen; Kim, Sunny S.; Menon, Purnima; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2023
Neupane, Sumanta; Scott, Samuel; Piwoz, Ellen; Kim, Sunny S.; Menon, Purnima; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2023
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001991
Abstract | View
Antenatal care (ANC) is an opportunity to receive interventions that can prevent low birth weight (LBW). We sought to 1) estimate LBW prevalence and burden in South Asia, 2) describe the number of ANC visits (quantity) and interventions received (quality), and 3) explore associations between ANC quantity, quality and LBW. We used Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from Afghanistan (2015), Bangladesh (2018), India (2016), Nepal (2016), Pakistan (2018) and Sri Lanka (2016) (n = 146,284 children <5y). Women were categorized as follows: 1) low quantity (<4 ANC visits) and low quality (<5 of 10 interventions received during ANC), 2) low quantity and high quality (≥5 of 10 interventions), 3) high quantity (≥4 visits) and low quality, 4) high quantity and high quality. We used fixed effect logistic regressions to examine associations between ANC quality/quantity and LBW (<2500 grams). LBW prevalence was highest in Pakistan (23%) and India (18%), with India accounting for two-thirds of the regional burden. Only 8% of women in Afghanistan received high quantity and high quality ANC, compared to 42–46% in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, 65% in Nepal and 92% in Sri Lanka. Compared to the low quantity/quality reference group, children of women with high quantity/quality ANC had lower odds of LBW in India (Adjusted Odds Ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.78–0.89), Nepal (0.57, 0.35–0.94), Pakistan (0.45, 0.23–0.86), and Sri Lanka (0.73, 0.57–0.92). Low quantity but high quality ANC was protective in India (0.90, 0.84–0.96), Afghanistan (0.53, 0.27–1.05) and Pakistan (0.49, 0.23–1.05). High quantity but low quality ANC was protective in Sri Lanka (0.76, 0.61–0.93). Neither frequent ANC without appropriate interventions nor infrequent ANC with appropriate interventions are sufficient to prevent LBW in most South Asian countries, though quality may be more important than quantity. Consistent measurement of interventions during ANC is needed.
How the war in Ukraine threatens Bangladesh’s food security
Mamun, Abdullah; Glauber, Joseph W.; Laborde Debucquet, David. Washington, DC 2023
Mamun, Abdullah; Glauber, Joseph W.; Laborde Debucquet, David. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/9780896294394_34
Abstract | View
As the Russia-Ukraine crisis continues to disrupt the global trade of key foods such as wheat and vegetable oils, along with fertilizers, impacts are falling heavily on countries such as Bangladesh. Dependent on imports of those items to feed its large population, many of whom are poor and vulnerable to shocks, the country faces the prospect of rising food insecurity.
The conflict threatens Bangladesh’s recent progress on this front. With a population of 165 million in 2021 — with 38% employed by the griculture and fisheries sector — and a growing economy, the country’s undernourished population declined from a high of 16% in 2000 to as low as 9.7% in 2019. While the COVID-19 pandemic increased food insecurity, by some measures the country proved relatively resilient: According to an IFPRI study, the proportion of rural households facing moderate or severe food insecurity rose from 15% in early 2020 to 45% in January 2021, then returned to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2021.
The conflict threatens Bangladesh’s recent progress on this front. With a population of 165 million in 2021 — with 38% employed by the griculture and fisheries sector — and a growing economy, the country’s undernourished population declined from a high of 16% in 2000 to as low as 9.7% in 2019. While the COVID-19 pandemic increased food insecurity, by some measures the country proved relatively resilient: According to an IFPRI study, the proportion of rural households facing moderate or severe food insecurity rose from 15% in early 2020 to 45% in January 2021, then returned to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2021.
Pregnancy pesticide exposure and child development in low- and middle-income countries: A prospective analysis of a birth cohort in rural Bangladesh and meta-analysis
Bliznashka, Lilia; Roy, Aditi; Christiani, David C.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Ospina, Maria; Diao, Nancy; Mazumdar, Maitreyi; Jaacks, Lindsay M.. 2023
Bliznashka, Lilia; Roy, Aditi; Christiani, David C.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Ospina, Maria; Diao, Nancy; Mazumdar, Maitreyi; Jaacks, Lindsay M.. 2023
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0287089
Abstract | View
Background: Despite considerable evidence on a negative association between pregnancy pesticide exposure and child development in high-income countries, evidence from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited. Therefore, we assessed associations between pregnancy pesticide exposure and child development in rural Bangladesh and summarised existing literature in a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods: We used data from 284 mother-child pairs participating in a birth cohort established in 2008. Eight urinary pesticide biomarkers were quantified in early pregnancy (mean gestational age 11.6±2.9 weeks) as an index of pesticide exposure. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition were administered at 20–40 months of age. Associations between creatinine-adjusted urinary pesticide biomarker concentrations and child development scores were estimated using multivariable generalised linear models. We searched ten databases up to November 2021 to identify prospective studies on pregnancy pesticide exposure and child development conducted in LMICs. We used a random-effects model to pool similar studies, including our original analysis. The systematic review was pre-registered with PROSPERO: CRD42021292919.
Results: In the Bangladesh cohort, pregnancy 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (IMPY) concentrations were inversely associated with motor development (-0.66 points [95% CI -1.23, -0.09]). Pregnancy 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPY) concentrations were inversely associated with cognitive development, but the association was small: -0.02 points (-0.04, 0.01). We observed no associations between 4-nitrophenol and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) concentrations and child development. The systematic review included 13 studies from four LMICs. After pooling our results with one other study, we found consistent evidence that pregnancy 3-PBA concentrations were not associated with cognitive, language, or motor development.
Conclusion: Evidence suggests that pregnancy exposure to some organophosphate pesticides is negatively associated with child development. Interventions to reduce in-utero pesticide exposure in LMICs may help protect child development.
Methods: We used data from 284 mother-child pairs participating in a birth cohort established in 2008. Eight urinary pesticide biomarkers were quantified in early pregnancy (mean gestational age 11.6±2.9 weeks) as an index of pesticide exposure. The Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition were administered at 20–40 months of age. Associations between creatinine-adjusted urinary pesticide biomarker concentrations and child development scores were estimated using multivariable generalised linear models. We searched ten databases up to November 2021 to identify prospective studies on pregnancy pesticide exposure and child development conducted in LMICs. We used a random-effects model to pool similar studies, including our original analysis. The systematic review was pre-registered with PROSPERO: CRD42021292919.
Results: In the Bangladesh cohort, pregnancy 2-isopropyl-4-methyl-6-hydroxypyrimidine (IMPY) concentrations were inversely associated with motor development (-0.66 points [95% CI -1.23, -0.09]). Pregnancy 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPY) concentrations were inversely associated with cognitive development, but the association was small: -0.02 points (-0.04, 0.01). We observed no associations between 4-nitrophenol and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) concentrations and child development. The systematic review included 13 studies from four LMICs. After pooling our results with one other study, we found consistent evidence that pregnancy 3-PBA concentrations were not associated with cognitive, language, or motor development.
Conclusion: Evidence suggests that pregnancy exposure to some organophosphate pesticides is negatively associated with child development. Interventions to reduce in-utero pesticide exposure in LMICs may help protect child development.
Bangladeshi women’s experiences and vulnerabilities in Jordan’s garment sector
Nassif, Gabriella; Bhuiyan, Muhammad Mahbubul; Zahir, Md; Abdulrahim, Sawsan; Ringler, Claudia. Washington, DC 2023
Nassif, Gabriella; Bhuiyan, Muhammad Mahbubul; Zahir, Md; Abdulrahim, Sawsan; Ringler, Claudia. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136715
Abstract | View
Jordan’s garment sector employs a large number of women migrants from South Asia who face various challenges and vulnerabilities in their work environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated some of these vulnerabilities, leading to income losses. However, little information is available about this migration corridor. This study implemented qualitative phone survey interviews with returnee women migrants in Bangladesh to identify interventions that the organizations, such as the International Labor Organization and other actors supporting women’s safe migration could undertake to reduce women’s vulnerabilities in migration. The study identified networks of discipline and power, the perception of appropriate behavior at work and beyond and racialization as key areas that mediate vulnerabilities of women. We recommend increasing awareness of conditions at Jordan’s garment sector as part of pre-departure training, which is supported by the main recruitment practice of garment workers through BOESL in the country. Awareness raising includes information on the role of the Al Hassan Workers’ Center as well as on the role of the embassy of Bangladesh in Jordan. A second recommendation is to translate contractual documents into Bengali so that women migrants can better understand work conditions, including salaries. The final recommendation focuses on the need to continue research on the uneven power dynamics in Jordan’s garment sector to support dismantling networks of discrimination and power and racialization of the work environment.
Private transfers, public transfers, and foodinsecurity during the time of COVID-19: Evidence from Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hoddinott, John F.; Roy, Shalini. 2023
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hoddinott, John F.; Roy, Shalini. 2023
DOI : 10.1002/aepp.13373
Abstract | View
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest has grown in what kinds of assistance protect household food security during shocks. We study rural and urban Bangladesh from 2018 to 2019 to late 2021, assessing how pre-pandemic access to social safety net programs and private remittances relate to household food insecurity during the pandemic. Using longitudinal data and estimating differences-in-differences models with household fixed effects, we find that pre-pandemic access to social protection is associated with significant reductions in food insecurity in all rounds collected during the pandemic, particularly in our urban sample. However, pre-pandemic access to remittances shows no similar protective effect.
Report on improving smallholder women farmers’ access to finance for small-scale irrigation technologies
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation. 2023
Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Small Scale Irrigation. 2023
Abstract | View
Widespread use of small power pumps in South Asia has revolutionized agricultural production since the 1970s. In the past few years, solar photovoltaic pumps have become affordable alternatives to diesel and grid-powered electric pumps. While their initial investment is higher, the near-zero operating costs make them extremely attractive (Xie et al. 2021; Lefore et al. 2021). They have additional benefits, including reducing the national fuel import bill; and producing no greenhouse gases. Small solar-powered pumps are portable and can be used for many purposes. India, among others, is investing billions of Indian Rupees in subsidies to ramp up their use; and partnerships among private firms, NGOs, governments, researchers, and investors are trying to expand their uptake in sub-Saharan Africa. A major downside is that most irrigation pumps are being acquired by relatively wealthy male farmers, exacerbating already high levels of inequality in rural communities. Poor smallholders, especially women, cannot meet the required credit checks and therefore cannot purchase the pumps. Nor do they have access to finance to purchase complementary inputs such as fertilizer and seeds. In response, various research institutions, pump manufacturers, and NGOs are exploring how to target irrigation pumps to poor smallholders, women, and youth. Many studies and pilot programs have been implemented and shown positive results. The challenge is to scale out the successful pilots based on lessons learned. This brief explores the lessons learned and identifies potential ways forward.
Impacts of the Russia-Ukraine War price shocks on the Bangladesh economy: A general equilibrium analysis
Chowdhury, Tahreen Tahrima; Dorosh, Paul A.; Islam, Rizwana; Pradesha, Angga. Washington, DC 2023
Chowdhury, Tahreen Tahrima; Dorosh, Paul A.; Islam, Rizwana; Pradesha, Angga. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136691
Abstract | View
The spike in global commodity prices caused by the Russia-Ukraine war has had major adverse impacts on many developing countries, including Bangladesh, that still depend heavily on energy and food imports. Although the Bangladesh economy has rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest global trade shock has threated to increase food insecurity and poverty. This study utilizes the Bangladesh RIAPA economywide model to assess the impact of increases in global commodity prices and explores potential policy interventions to reduce negative impacts. Simulation results show that increases in international commodity prices create a GDP loss of 0.36 percent and an increase of three million in the number of poor (mainly rural poor). Energy price shocks account for most of this decline in real GDP (0.28 percent). The fertilizer subsidy helps spur agriculture production which leads to an increase in crop GDP by 0.78 percent and total agricultural GDP by 0.43 percent. Changes in policy could help mitigate the effects of these price shocks. In particular, petroleum subsidies would help increase production in both agriculture and services, leading to a 0.3 percent increase in household consumption, considerably more than the gain under a targeted cash transfer policy of equal cost. However, given that the petroleum subsidy does not specifically target the poor, it only reduces poverty by a fraction of what a targeted cash transfer would. Moreover, as illustrated by the experiences of other countries, increases in a fuel subsidy, once introduced, are likely to be very difficult to reverse. This suggests that if the major policy goal is to reduce poverty, a direct cash transfer would be more effective than the other policy options considered here. Combining these policies, however, would be even more effective than any single intervention, reducing poverty incidence by around 2.5 million people, and thereby preventing nearly all of the potential increase in poverty resulting from global price shocks.
Assessing the hidden burden and costs of COVID-19 pandemic in South Asia: Implications for health and well-being of women, children and adolescents
Owais, Aatekah; Rizvi, Arjumand; Jawwad, Muhammad; Horton, Susan; Das, Jai K.; Merritt, Catherine; Moreno, Ralfh; Asfaw, Atnafu G.; Rutter, Paul; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Menon, Purnima; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.. 2023
Owais, Aatekah; Rizvi, Arjumand; Jawwad, Muhammad; Horton, Susan; Das, Jai K.; Merritt, Catherine; Moreno, Ralfh; Asfaw, Atnafu G.; Rutter, Paul; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Menon, Purnima; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.. 2023
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001567
Abstract | View
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations. With its intensity expected to be cyclical over the foreseeable future, and much of the impact estimates still modeled, it is imperative that we accurately assess the impact to date, to help with the process of targeted rebuilding of services. We collected data from administrative health information systems in six South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka), to determine essential health services coverage disruptions between January–December 2020, and January–June 2021, compared to the same calendar months in 2019, and estimated the impact of this disruption on maternal and child mortality using the Lives Saved Tool. We also modelled impact of prolonged school closures on continued enrollment, as well as potential sequelae for the cohort of girls who have likely dropped out. Coverage of key maternal and child health interventions, including antenatal care and immunizations, decreased by up to 60%, with the largest disruptions observed between April and June 2020. This was followed by a period of recovery from July 2020 to March 2021, but a reversal of most of these gains in April/May 2021, likely due to the delta variant-fueled surge in South Asia at the same time. We estimated that disruption of essential health services between January 2020 and June 2021 potentially resulted in an additional 19,000 maternal and 317,000 child deaths, an increase of 19% and 13% respectively, compared to 2019. Extended school closures likely resulted in 9 million adolescents dropping out permanently, with 40% likely being from poorest households, resulting in decreased lifetime earnings. A projected increase in early marriages for girls who dropped out could result in an additional 500,000 adolescent pregnancies, 153,000 low birthweight births, and 27,000 additional children becoming stunted by age two years. To date, the increase in maternal and child mortality due to health services disruption has likely exceeded the overall number of COVID-19 deaths in South Asia. The indirect effects of the pandemic were disproportionately borne by the most vulnerable populations, and effects are likely to be long-lasting, permanent and in some cases inter-generational, unless policies aimed at alleviating these impacts are instituted at scale and targeted to reach the poorest of the poor. There are also implications for future pandemic preparedness.
Measuring changes in Bangladesh’s agri-food system
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2023
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136655
Abstract | View
Transformation of the agri-food system (AFS) is a leading pathway to achieve the USG Global Food Security Strategy Objective 1 of “Inclusive agriculture-led growth”. The AFS encompasses the primary agricultural sector, as well as all upstream and downstream agriculture-related activities. An expansion of the AFS’s off-farm components is central to the process of agricultural transformation and is strongly associated with economic development. The Percent change in value-added in the agri-food system (AgGDP+) and Employment in the agri-food system (AgEMP+) indicators are useful to track this process.
Locking down adolescent hunger: COVID-19 and food security in Bangladesh
Seager, Jennifer; Baird, Sarah; Kalow, Jared; Tauseef, Salauddin. 2023
Seager, Jennifer; Baird, Sarah; Kalow, Jared; Tauseef, Salauddin. 2023
DOI : 10.1002/aepp.13360
Development and validation of a Women’s Empowerment in Migration Index (WEMI)
Alvi, Muzna; Ratna, Muzna; Sufian, Farha; Khan, Mohidul Hoque; Ringler, Claudia. London, England; Washington, DC 2023
Alvi, Muzna; Ratna, Muzna; Sufian, Farha; Khan, Mohidul Hoque; Ringler, Claudia. London, England; Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.51744/CEB8
Abstract | View
There is ample data and literature that shows how women’s experiences in low-paid, short-term migration vary from those of men, and that experiences are linked to women’s empowerment – captured by the interrelated dimensions of resources, agency, and achievements. While considerable attention is paid to understanding the generalized notion of women’s empowerment, it is also key to distinguish empowerment in specific realms, including economic empowerment, agriculture, health and nutrition, and migration. To better understand the agency of female migrants, a Women’s Empowerment in Migration Index (WEMI) was developed. This brief discusses work to assess this index with data from women migrants in the Bangladesh to West Asia migration corridor.
Key stakeholders and platforms/networks in food systems transformation in Bangladesh in 2022
Khatun, Wajiha; Fakhry, Hager; Herens, Marion. Washington, DC 2023
Khatun, Wajiha; Fakhry, Hager; Herens, Marion. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136646
Abstract | View
The stakeholder identification is initiated under the CGIAR Research Initative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) to identify with whom the project needs to engage with to achieve food system transformations. It brings together all the stakeholders working on food systems issues in a so-called ‘living’ database that can quickly identify potential stakeholders in each of the SHIFT target countries. Understanding, engaging and capacitating the different food system stakeholders will provide diverse perspectives to foster collaborations to leverage transformative actions across the system to improve outcomes. This stakeholder identification is a first step to building an understanding of who (people and institutions) is engaged with food system issues at different governance levels, including public and private actors, and those working in formal and informal sectors at national, regional, and local government levels.
In addition, the SHiFT country engagement approach is looking to connect with and strengthen existing stakeholder (coordination) mechanisms or platforms in food system transformation rather than establish new collaborative structures. Applying a stakeholder platform mapping tool to detect (coordination) structures engaged around food system issues, existing platforms, and networks are identified.
In addition, the SHiFT country engagement approach is looking to connect with and strengthen existing stakeholder (coordination) mechanisms or platforms in food system transformation rather than establish new collaborative structures. Applying a stakeholder platform mapping tool to detect (coordination) structures engaged around food system issues, existing platforms, and networks are identified.
Data issues in analyzing agri-food trade in BIMSTEC: Challenges and recommendations
Saroj, Sunil; Roy, Devesh; Kamar, Abul; Pradhan, Mamata. Washington, DC 2023
Saroj, Sunil; Roy, Devesh; Kamar, Abul; Pradhan, Mamata. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136645
Abstract | View
The focus of research on international trade has recently shifted from industries and countries to firms. Firm heterogeneity is shown to be a determinant of trade at both the intensive margin (increase exports per firm/product) and extensive margins (the number of firms exporting – new products, new partners, new varieties, and new prices). It is now widely accepted that exporting firms are larger, comparatively productive, more skilled, and capital-intensive, and pay higher wages than non-exporting firms.
The innovations in international trade literature that explains both the emergence as well as levels and the nature of trade flows through value chain integration necessitates examining trade-based exchanges at the highest possible levels of product disaggregation. Developments in trade theory emphasize that it is individual firms not countries that trade and analysis needs to incorporate firm characteristics in decisions and ability for exporting and importing. Firms are the appropriate unit of analysis for trade flows. It helps several paradoxes once the import of firm heterogeneity is understood.
Despite the substantive importance of granular level data and the significant level of disaggregated product-level bilateral trade flow data and enhanced computing power that are becoming available, most studies have tended to rely on analysis with high level of aggregation. Recent research on firm heterogeneity in international trade highlights the importance of extensive margins i.e., new products, new partners, new varieties, and cumulative of these i.e., new prices in trade patterns and firms' responses to trade liberalization and other policy changes. However, the high dimensionality of the data and the large number of responses to changes can easily overwhelm researchers. Additionally, bigger data sets may contain more noise, which can mask important systematic patterns. In analysis of trade flows, notwithstanding the rising incidence of differentiated products (varieties) and value chains that transcend national boundaries, methods in agri-food trade analysis in particular have not kept pace in terms of empirical methods and suitable data.
The innovations in international trade literature that explains both the emergence as well as levels and the nature of trade flows through value chain integration necessitates examining trade-based exchanges at the highest possible levels of product disaggregation. Developments in trade theory emphasize that it is individual firms not countries that trade and analysis needs to incorporate firm characteristics in decisions and ability for exporting and importing. Firms are the appropriate unit of analysis for trade flows. It helps several paradoxes once the import of firm heterogeneity is understood.
Despite the substantive importance of granular level data and the significant level of disaggregated product-level bilateral trade flow data and enhanced computing power that are becoming available, most studies have tended to rely on analysis with high level of aggregation. Recent research on firm heterogeneity in international trade highlights the importance of extensive margins i.e., new products, new partners, new varieties, and cumulative of these i.e., new prices in trade patterns and firms' responses to trade liberalization and other policy changes. However, the high dimensionality of the data and the large number of responses to changes can easily overwhelm researchers. Additionally, bigger data sets may contain more noise, which can mask important systematic patterns. In analysis of trade flows, notwithstanding the rising incidence of differentiated products (varieties) and value chains that transcend national boundaries, methods in agri-food trade analysis in particular have not kept pace in terms of empirical methods and suitable data.
COVID-19 and the economic recovery in South Asia: Economywide modeling scenarios for Bangladesh and Nepal
Dorosh, Paul A.; Pauw, Karl; Pradesha, Angga; Thurlow, James. 2023
Dorosh, Paul A.; Pauw, Karl; Pradesha, Angga; Thurlow, James. 2023
DOI : 10.1002/aepp.13355
Abstract | View
We use economywide models to examine the economic recovery from COVID-19 shocks in Bangladesh and Nepal during 2020–2026. Declining labor productivity, capital underutilization, consumption shifts, and international investment shocks had significant and differential sectoral and country-level impacts in these countries. By 2026, GDP will be 6.9% and 13.9% lower in Bangladesh and Nepal, respectively, and the two countries will have an additional 3.3 million people in poverty compared to a no-COVID baseline. Regaining economic and welfare losses will require substantial investments in key industrial, agricultural, and tourism sectors, although tough policy decisions will be required given high levels of public debt.
Empowering women in agriculture: The role of the WEAI in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Malapit, Hazel J.; Ghostlaw, Julie. Washington, DC 2023
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Malapit, Hazel J.; Ghostlaw, Julie. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136634
Abstract | View
Empowering women is crucial for a country's development because it leads to greater economic growth, increased productivity, and improved social outcomes. When women have access to education, economic opportunities, and decision-making power, they are better able to contribute to their families and communities. This can lead to increased income, improved health and education outcomes, and reduced poverty. In Bangladesh, women and girls still face considerable barriers to accessing education and economic opportunities, and are often subjected to traditional gender roles that may hinder them. Although women play a crucial role in agriculture, they experience many challenges that limit their productivity and economic potential, such as limited access to credit and training. They are also often marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes. As the complexity and importance of gender equity in development work has increased, so too has the need to measure empowerment and progress made toward improving empowerment and achieving gender parity. In Bangladesh, there has been growing momentum by the government and development partners to use evidence to inform gender-sensitive and -responsive policies and programs. The Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) has emerged as a key tool to achieve this objective. This brief examines how WEAI data have informed and supported the design of policies and programs to promote women's empowerment in Bangladesh.
Unlocking agricultural trade potential in the BIMSTEC region: Policy challenges and implications
Kamar, Abul; Roy, Devesh. Washington, DC 2023
Kamar, Abul; Roy, Devesh. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136626
Abstract | View
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization that comprises seven nations, five of which are from South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka) and two from Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thailand). BIMSTEC aims to increase trade including agri-food products to much higher levels than its historical low values lying much below potential. In 2020, intra-BIMSTEC trade accounted for a mere 6.15% of the total trade among its member countries. In contrast, intra-ASEAN trade made up around 23% of the total trade within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). These figures highlight the significant room for growth
in intra-regional trade among BIMSTEC member countries. Importantly the low share of intra BIMSTEC trade is not due to greater integration with supra-BIMSTEC partners. This policy note seeks to spell out some of the key agricultural trade policy-related challenges in the BIMSTEC region and their implications for economic integration in the area.
in intra-regional trade among BIMSTEC member countries. Importantly the low share of intra BIMSTEC trade is not due to greater integration with supra-BIMSTEC partners. This policy note seeks to spell out some of the key agricultural trade policy-related challenges in the BIMSTEC region and their implications for economic integration in the area.
Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh and Myanmar
Ecker, Olivier; Alderman, Harold; Comstock, Andrew R.; Headey, Derek D.; Mahrt, Kristi; Pradesha, Angga. 2023
Ecker, Olivier; Alderman, Harold; Comstock, Andrew R.; Headey, Derek D.; Mahrt, Kristi; Pradesha, Angga. 2023
DOI : 10.1002/aepp.13357
Abstract | View
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in severe income losses, but little is known about its impacts on diets and nutritional adequacy, or the effectiveness of social protection interventions in mitigating dietary and nutritional impacts. We first assess the likely impacts of COVID-19 shocks in Bangladesh and Myanmar on poverty and food and nutrient consumption gaps. We then analyze the estimated mitigating effects of five hypothetical social protection interventions of a typical monetary value: (1) cash transfers; (2) in-kind transfers of common rice; (3) in-kind transfers of fortified rice enriched with multiple essential micronutrients; (4) vouchers for a diversified basket of rice and non-staple foods; and (5) food vouchers with fortified rice instead of common rice. The simulation results suggest modest effectiveness of the cash transfers for mitigating poverty increases and little effectiveness of all five transfers for preventing increasing food and nutrient consumption gaps among the poorest 40%. Rice fortification is, however, effective at closing key micronutrient consumption gaps and could be a suitable policy instrument for averting “hidden hunger” during economic crises.
Assessing sustainment of health worker outcomes beyond program end: Evaluation results from an infant and young child feeding intervention in Bangladesh
Moucheraud, Corrina; Epstein, Adrienne; Sarma, Haribondhu; Kim, Sunny S.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Menon, Purnima. 2023
Moucheraud, Corrina; Epstein, Adrienne; Sarma, Haribondhu; Kim, Sunny S.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Menon, Purnima. 2023
DOI : 10.3389/frhs.2022.1005986
Abstract | View
Introduction: Alive and Thrive (A&T) implemented infant and young child feeding (IYCF) interventions in Bangladesh. We examine the sustained impacts on health workers' IYCF knowledge, service delivery, job satisfaction, and job readiness three years after the program's conclusion.
Methods: We use data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial design, including repeated cross-sectional surveys with health workers in 2010 (baseline, n = 290), 2014 (endline, n = 511) and 2017 (post-endline, n = 600). Health workers in 10 sub-districts were trained and incentivized to deliver intensified IYCF counseling, and participated in social mobilization activities, while health workers in 10 comparison sub-districts delivered standard counseling activities. Accompanying mass media and policy change activities occurred at the national level. The primary outcome is quality of IYCF service delivery (number of IYCF messages reportedly communicated during counseling); intermediate outcomes are IYCF knowledge, job satisfaction, and job readiness. We also assess the role of hypothesized modifiers of program sustainment, i.e. activities of the program: comprehensiveness of refresher trainings and receipt of financial incentives. Multivariable difference-in-difference linear regression models, including worker characteristic covariates and adjusted for clustering at the survey sampling level, are used to compare differences between groups (intervention vs. comparison areas) and over time (baseline, endline, post-endline).
Results: At endline, health workers in intervention areas discussed significantly more IYCF topics than those in comparison areas (4.9 vs. 4.0 topics, p < 0.001), but levels decreased and the post-endline gap was no longer significant (4.0 vs. 3.3 topics, p = 0.067). Comprehensive refresher trainings were protective against deterioration in service delivery. Between baseline and endline, the intervention increased health workers' knowledge (3.5-point increase in knowledge scores in intervention areas, vs. 1.5-point increase in comparison areas, p < 0.0001); and this improvement persisted to post-endline, suggesting a sustained program effect on knowledge. Job satisfaction and readiness both saw improvements among workers in intervention areas during the project period (baseline to endline) but regressed to a similar level as comparison areas by post-endline. Discussion: Our study showed sustained impact of IYCF interventions on health workers' knowledge, but not job satisfaction or job readiness—and, critically, no sustained program effect on service delivery. Programs of limited duration may seek to assess the status of and invest in protective factors identified in this study (e.g., refresher trainings) to encourage sustained impact of improved service delivery. Studies should also prioritize collecting post-endline data to empirically test and refine concepts of sustainment.
Methods: We use data from a cluster-randomized controlled trial design, including repeated cross-sectional surveys with health workers in 2010 (baseline, n = 290), 2014 (endline, n = 511) and 2017 (post-endline, n = 600). Health workers in 10 sub-districts were trained and incentivized to deliver intensified IYCF counseling, and participated in social mobilization activities, while health workers in 10 comparison sub-districts delivered standard counseling activities. Accompanying mass media and policy change activities occurred at the national level. The primary outcome is quality of IYCF service delivery (number of IYCF messages reportedly communicated during counseling); intermediate outcomes are IYCF knowledge, job satisfaction, and job readiness. We also assess the role of hypothesized modifiers of program sustainment, i.e. activities of the program: comprehensiveness of refresher trainings and receipt of financial incentives. Multivariable difference-in-difference linear regression models, including worker characteristic covariates and adjusted for clustering at the survey sampling level, are used to compare differences between groups (intervention vs. comparison areas) and over time (baseline, endline, post-endline).
Results: At endline, health workers in intervention areas discussed significantly more IYCF topics than those in comparison areas (4.9 vs. 4.0 topics, p < 0.001), but levels decreased and the post-endline gap was no longer significant (4.0 vs. 3.3 topics, p = 0.067). Comprehensive refresher trainings were protective against deterioration in service delivery. Between baseline and endline, the intervention increased health workers' knowledge (3.5-point increase in knowledge scores in intervention areas, vs. 1.5-point increase in comparison areas, p < 0.0001); and this improvement persisted to post-endline, suggesting a sustained program effect on knowledge. Job satisfaction and readiness both saw improvements among workers in intervention areas during the project period (baseline to endline) but regressed to a similar level as comparison areas by post-endline. Discussion: Our study showed sustained impact of IYCF interventions on health workers' knowledge, but not job satisfaction or job readiness—and, critically, no sustained program effect on service delivery. Programs of limited duration may seek to assess the status of and invest in protective factors identified in this study (e.g., refresher trainings) to encourage sustained impact of improved service delivery. Studies should also prioritize collecting post-endline data to empirically test and refine concepts of sustainment.
Shocks and the determinants of resilience: Fish and shrimp value chains in Bangladesh after Covid-19
Kabir, Razin; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Narayanan, Sudha; Rashid, Shahidur. 2023
Kabir, Razin; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Narayanan, Sudha; Rashid, Shahidur. 2023
DOI : 10.1002/aepp.13356
Mobile banking in Bangladesh: An opportunity with constraints?
Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Rahman, Khandker Wahedur. Mokakhali, Dhaka 2023
Bloem, Jeffrey R.; Rahman, Khandker Wahedur. Mokakhali, Dhaka 2023
Abstract | View
Digital financial services (DFS), particularly mobile banking, have the potential to extend financial services to unbanked populations.[1] Specifically, DFS reduce direct and indirect transaction costs. Mobile banking allows clients to access bank accounts, save money, and send and receive payments directly from their mobile phones, eliminating travel to a physical bank. Additionally, mobile banking reduces social or administrative constraints—such as in-person meetings and paperwork, and safety concerns while travelling with money—which can be especially salient for women.
In-kind transfers and household food consumption
del Ninno, Carlo; Dorosh, Paul A.. Washington, D.C. 2002
del Ninno, Carlo; Dorosh, Paul A.. Washington, D.C. 2002
Abstract | View
This paper examines the impact of wheat transfers and cash incomes on wheat consumption and wheat markets. Using propensity score- matching techniques, the total marginal propensity to consume (MPC) for wheat is, on average, 0.33, ranging from essentially zero for Food For Work (a program with large transfers) to 0.51 for Food For Education. Econometric estimates indicate that the MPC for small wheat transfers to poor households is approximately 0.25, while the MPC for wheat out of cash income is near zero. This increase in demand for wheat reduces the potential price effect of three major targeted programs involving small rations (Food For Education, Vulnerable Group Development, and Vulnerable Group Feeding) by about one-third.
The economywide effects of reducing food loss and waste in developing countries
Aragie, Emerta; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2023
Aragie, Emerta; Pauw, Karl; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136605
Abstract | View
One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is reducing food loss and waste (FLW) across all stages of food value chains, including the on-farm production, the off-farm postharvest, processing, and distribution, and the household consumption stages. We employ general equilibrium models for Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria to assess the economywide implications of reducing FLW at different stages of value chains. Halving FLW results in GDP increases of between 1.1 and 2 percent, with up to 13 million people lifted out of poverty across the three countries. Diets also improve – especially in Kenya and Nigeria – due to greater availability and lower prices of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. Although most of the gains originate from reducing FLW in the on-farm production stage, strong intersectoral linkages mean around 30 percent of measured GDP gains are realized in non-agricultural sectors. Reducing waste at the final consumption stage has small negative impacts on GDP as households purchase less food without reducing their food intake. We conclude that the significant economywide gains provide a justification for adopting FLW reduction strategies, although costing the policy and investment options needed to reduce FLW is an important area for future research.
Measuring empowerment across the value chain: The evolution of the project-level Women’s Empowerment Index for Market Inclusion (pro-WEAI+MI)
Malapit, Hazel J.; Heckert, Jessica; Adegbola, Patrice Ygué; Crinot, Geraud Fabrice; Eissler, Sarah; Faas, Simone; Gantoli, Geoffroy; Kalagho, Kenan; Martinez, Elena; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; Mswero, Grace; Myers, Emily; Mzungu, Diston; Pereira, Audrey; Pinkstaff, Crossley; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Ragasa, Catherine; Rubin, Deborah; Seymour, Greg; Tauseef, Salauddin; GAAP2 Market Inclusion Study Team. Washington, DC 2023
Malapit, Hazel J.; Heckert, Jessica; Adegbola, Patrice Ygué; Crinot, Geraud Fabrice; Eissler, Sarah; Faas, Simone; Gantoli, Geoffroy; Kalagho, Kenan; Martinez, Elena; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; Mswero, Grace; Myers, Emily; Mzungu, Diston; Pereira, Audrey; Pinkstaff, Crossley; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Ragasa, Catherine; Rubin, Deborah; Seymour, Greg; Tauseef, Salauddin; GAAP2 Market Inclusion Study Team. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136606
Abstract | View
Many development agencies design and implement interventions that aim to reach, benefit, and empower rural women across the value chain in activities ranging from production, to processing, to marketing. Determining whether and how such interventions empower women, as well as the constraints faced by different value chain actors, requires quantitative and qualitative tools. We describe how we adapted the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agricultural Index (pro-WEAI), a mixed-methods tool for studying empowerment in development projects, to include aspects of agency relevant for multiple types of value chain actors. The resulting pro-WEAI for market inclusion (pro-WEAI+MI) includes quantitative and qualitative instruments developed over the course of four studies. Studies in the Philippines (2017), Bangladesh (2017), and Malawi (2019) were intended to diagnose areas of disempowerment to inform programming, whereas the Benin (2019) study was an impact assessment of an agricultural training program. The pro-WEAI+MI includes all indicators included in pro-WEAI, plus a dashboard of complementary indicators and recommended qualitative instruments. These tools investigate the empowerment of women in different value chains and nodes and identify barriers to market access and inclusion that may restrict empowerment for different value chain actors. Our findings highlight three lessons. First, the sampling strategy needs to be designed to capture the key actors in a value chain. Second, the market inclusion indicators cannot stand alone; they must be interpreted alongside the core pro-WEAI indicators. Third, not all market inclusion indicators will be relevant for all value chains and contexts. Users should research the experiences of women and men in the target value chains in the context of the programto select priority market inclusion indicators.
Youth entrepreneurship in agribusiness: Bangladesh country report
Babu, Suresh Chandra; Zhou, Yuan; Khan, Reza; Srivastava, Nandita. 2021
Babu, Suresh Chandra; Zhou, Yuan; Khan, Reza; Srivastava, Nandita. 2021
Abstract | View
Youth entrepreneurship is identified as an important pathway to harness the demographic dividend. It provides a means for growth and productive employment in developing nations. The agriculture sector in developing countries like Bangladesh has the potential to create opportunities for youth entrepreneurship, but certain key challenges can constrain progress. These challenges include lack of skills training support and poor access to credit, infrastructure, technology, and markets. To address these concerns, a first step is to recognize factors that contribute to the success of youth entrepreneurs (YEs), identify key stakeholders who can create and support entrepreneurial opportunities, and design ways to expand the scale of existing YEs.
This report is part of an international multi-country comparative study on youth entrepreneurship in agribusiness. It uses a conceptual framework on key drivers of the success of youth entrepreneurship. It provides a literature review of the status of the policy, institutional, technological, business, and individual environments that support youth entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. A case study approach is used to understand the support and constraints faced by existing rural and urban YEs. Using the insights from the literature and case studies, key lessons and recommendations are provided to strengthen youth entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector in Bangladesh.
This report is part of an international multi-country comparative study on youth entrepreneurship in agribusiness. It uses a conceptual framework on key drivers of the success of youth entrepreneurship. It provides a literature review of the status of the policy, institutional, technological, business, and individual environments that support youth entrepreneurship in Bangladesh. A case study approach is used to understand the support and constraints faced by existing rural and urban YEs. Using the insights from the literature and case studies, key lessons and recommendations are provided to strengthen youth entrepreneurship in the agriculture sector in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh -- rolling up our sleeves
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2002
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
This brochure describes fully the work of The Food Management and Research Support Project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the International Food Policy Research Institute. The project was designed to provide timely and relevant policy analysis and to help develop capacity to formulate sound food policies. From August 1997 through June 2001, IFPRI collaborated with theFood Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Bangladesh Ministry of Food as well as three subcontractors: the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), the University of Minnesota, and the International Science and Technology Institute. The project consisted of three major activities: policy research on key issues in food management and food security and dissemination of research findings through workshops and seminars; provision of food policy advisory services; and training in food policy analysis for government officials. This fruitful collaboration between IFPRI, the Government of Bangladesh, and their partner institutions is an instructive example of how sharing information and skills can help developing countries move closer to their policy goals and improve the lives of their people.
Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia
Ecker, Olivier; Alderman, Harold; Comstock, Andrew R.; Headey, Derek D.; Mahrt, Kristi; Pradesha, Angga. Washington, DC 2023
Ecker, Olivier; Alderman, Harold; Comstock, Andrew R.; Headey, Derek D.; Mahrt, Kristi; Pradesha, Angga. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136599
Abstract | View
This study addresses the policy-relevant question of how, in the face of major economic shocks, social protection interventions can more effectively mitigate undernutrition. In particular, it considers the scope of scaled-up fortification of staples to avert the “hidden hunger” of micronutrient deficiencies. As a re-cent and still relevant example, it focuses on the kinds of economic shocks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic which, especially during the first lockdowns of April 2020, resulted in severe job and income losses for the poor and thus reduction and changes in spending, with urban and rural non-farm households typically affected more severely than farm households. However, the findings of this study are relevant for other economic shocks that severely reduce household’s disposable income.
In this study, we examine the effects of stylized economic shocks on household incomes in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia, with a focus on the difference between recommended and actual consumption of particular foods and nutrients. To this end, we use a novel combination of three integrated models to examine impacts and experiment with different types of social protection interventions. In Bangladesh and Indonesia, these are stylized models of the COVID-19 shock and government lock-downs; in Myanmar, however, we model the economic instability that took place after the February 2021 military takeover, which – in conjunction with COVID-19 impacts – resulted in an estimated 18 percent contraction in GDP (World Bank 2022).
In this study, we examine the effects of stylized economic shocks on household incomes in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Indonesia, with a focus on the difference between recommended and actual consumption of particular foods and nutrients. To this end, we use a novel combination of three integrated models to examine impacts and experiment with different types of social protection interventions. In Bangladesh and Indonesia, these are stylized models of the COVID-19 shock and government lock-downs; in Myanmar, however, we model the economic instability that took place after the February 2021 military takeover, which – in conjunction with COVID-19 impacts – resulted in an estimated 18 percent contraction in GDP (World Bank 2022).
Trends and inequities in food, energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrate intakes in rural Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2022
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2022
DOI : 10.1093/jn/nxac198
Abstract | View
Background: Tracking dietary changes can inform strategies to improve nutrition, yet there is limited evidence on food consumption patterns and how disparities in food and nutrient intakes have changed in Bangladesh. Objectives: We assessed trends and adequacies in energy and macronutrient intakes and evaluated changes in inequities by age group, sex, and expenditure quintile. Methods: We used panel data from the 2011 and 2018 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (n = 20,339 and 19,818 household members aged ≥2 y, respectively). Dietary intakes were collected using 24-h recall and food-weighing methods. Changes in energy and macronutrient intakes were assessed using generalized linear models and adjusted Wald tests. Inequities in outcomes were examined by age group, sex, and expenditure quintile using the Slope Index of Inequality and Concentration Index. Results: Between 2011 and 2018, dietary diversity improved across sex and age groups (30–46% in children, 60–65% in adolescents, 37–87% in adults), but diets remain imbalanced with ∼70% of energy coming from carbohydrates. There were declines in intakes of energy (3–8%), protein (3–9%), and carbohydrate (9–16%) for all age groups (except children aged 2–5 y), but an increase in fat intake (57–68% in children and 22–40% in adults). Insufficient intake remained high for protein (>50% among adults) and fat (>80%), whereas excessive carbohydrate intake was >70%. Insufficient energy, protein, and fat intakes, and excessive carbohydrate intakes, were more prevalent among poor households across survey years. Inequity gaps decreased for insufficient energy intake in most age groups, remained stable for insufficient protein intake, and increased for insufficient fat and excessive carbohydrate intakes. Conclusions: Despite improvements in dietary diversity, diets remain imbalanced and inequities in insufficient energy, protein, and fat intakes persist. Our findings call for coherent sets of policies and investments toward a well-functioning food system and social protection to promote healthier, more equitable diets in rural Bangladesh.
Is greater decisionmaking power of women associated with reduced gender discrimination in South Asia?
Smith, Lisa C.; Byron, Elizabeth. Washington, DC 2005
Smith, Lisa C.; Byron, Elizabeth. Washington, DC 2005
Abstract | View
To investigate this issue, the study draws on Demographic and Health Survey data collected during the 1990s in four countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The main empirical technique employed is multivariate regression analysis with statistical tests for significant differences in effects for girl and boy children. A total of 30,334 women and 33,316 children under three years old are included in the analysis. The study concludes that, for the South Asia region as a whole, an increase in women’s decisionmaking power relative to men’s, if substantial, would be an effective force for reducing discrimination against girl children.
Do crowded classrooms crowd out learning?
Ahmed, Akhter U.; Arends-Kuenning, Mary. Washington, DC 2003
Ahmed, Akhter U.; Arends-Kuenning, Mary. Washington, DC 2003
Mitigating poverty and undernutrition through social protection: A simulation analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh and Myanmar
Ecker, Olivier; Alderman, Harold; Comstock, Andrew R.; Headey, Derek D.; Mahrt, Kristi; Pradesha, Angga. Washington, DC 2023
Ecker, Olivier; Alderman, Harold; Comstock, Andrew R.; Headey, Derek D.; Mahrt, Kristi; Pradesha, Angga. Washington, DC 2023
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136593
Abstract | View
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in severe income losses, but little is known about its impacts on diets and nutritional adequacy, or the effectiveness of social protection interventions in mitigating dietary and nutritional impacts. We first assess the likely impacts of COVID-19 shocks in Bangladesh and Myanmar on poverty and food and nutrient consumption gaps. We then analyze the estimated mitigating effects of five hypothetical social protection interventions of a typical monetary value: (1) cash transfers; (2) in-kind transfers of common rice; (3) in-kind transfers of fortified rice enriched with multiple essential micronutrients; (4) vouchers for a diversified basket of rice and non-staple foods; and (5) food vouchers with fortified rice instead of common rice. The simulation results suggest modest effectiveness of the cash transfers for mitigating poverty increases and little effectiveness of all five transfers for preventing increasing food and nutrient consumption gaps among the poorest 40%. Rice fortification is, however, effective at closing key micronutrient consumption gaps and could be a suitable policy instrument for averting ‘hidden hunger’ during economic crises.
Social and financial incentives for overcoming a collective action problem
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Guiteras, Raymond; Levinsohn, James; Mobarak, Ahmed Mushfiq. 2023
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Guiteras, Raymond; Levinsohn, James; Mobarak, Ahmed Mushfiq. 2023
DOI : 10.1016/j.jdeveco.2023.103072
Abstract | View
Addressing public health externalities often requires community-level collective action. Due to social norms, each person’s sanitation investment decisions may depend on the decisions of neighbors. We report on a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted with 19,000 households in rural Bangladesh where we grouped neighboring households and introduced (either financial or social recognition) rewards with a joint liability component for the group, or asked each group member to make a private or public pledge to maintain a hygienic latrine. The group financial reward has the strongest impact in the short term (3 months), inducing a 7.5–12.5 percentage point increase in hygienic latrine ownership, but this effect dissipates in the medium term (15 months). In contrast, the public commitment induced a 4.2–6.3 percentage point increase in hygienic latrine ownership in the short term, but this effect persists in the medium term. Non-financial social recognition or a private pledge has no detectable effect on sanitation investments.
Household shocks and consumption smoothing: Evidence from Northern Bangladesh
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Rabbani, Atonu. 2022
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Rabbani, Atonu. 2022
DOI : 10.1353/jda.2022.0077
Abstract | View
Poor households in rural Bangladesh often face concurring idiosyncratic and aggregate shocks, which have adverse impacts on their income and consumption. In this study, we investigate the transmission channels, coping responses, and economic consequences of different shocks including idiosyncratic adverse health events and aggregate agricultural productivity shocks. We use a balanced panel data of 5,655 rural households–interviewed every year between 2010 and 2013–in northern Bangladesh. We estimate the effects of adverse health shocks on the consumption levels of poor households in a multi-shock framework. We take advantage of the panel data and use fixed effect models to control for unobserved household-level confounders and potential endogeneity. We further examine effects of shocks to agricultural wages on consumption using rainfall as an instrument. We further carry out a number of robustness checks to understand how sensitive our models are to different alternate specifications. Results indicate that households smooth their consumption after experiencing adverse health shocks, with and without the parallel incidence of other types of shocks. Consumption smoothing occurs despite households experiencing a significant decrease of wage income, which appears to be driven by an increase in informal loans from money lenders and households' social networks. To evaluate the effect of a different type of income shock on consumption, we use rainfall as an exogenous instrument for agricultural income. Results indicate that while higher rainfall leads to a significant increase in agricultural income, it does not translate to higher food expenditure for households. Together, these findings offer suggestive evidence that, in this setting, households appear to smooth food consumption in the face of income shocks. Poor households rely on formal and informal, potentially costly channels and exploit existing social networks to insure themselves against adverse shocks. The findings highlight the importance of developing a better framework to evaluate and implement more equitable social safety net policies.
Private investments in modern foodgrain storage in Bangladesh: An economic feasibility analysis and potential role for the public sector
Chowdhury, Reajul Alam; Alam, Md. Monjurul; Ali, Md. Rostom; Awal, Md. Abdul; Hossain, Shahadat; Kalita, Prasanta Kumar; Saha, Chayan Kumer; Winter-Nelson, Alex. Washington, DC 2021
Chowdhury, Reajul Alam; Alam, Md. Monjurul; Ali, Md. Rostom; Awal, Md. Abdul; Hossain, Shahadat; Kalita, Prasanta Kumar; Saha, Chayan Kumer; Winter-Nelson, Alex. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136561
Abstract | View
Unprecedented growth in rice production in Bangladesh over the last four decades has outpaced the capacity of post-harvest operations, resulting in substantial grain losses. While production technology has changed dramatically over time, there has been relatively little private investment in transforming storage capacity in the country.
This paper explores the lack of widespread private investment in improved grain storage and examines the potential for public support to stimulate greater private sector investment in modern storage. We calculate the returns to investment in bulk grain silos and hermetic cocoons that could upgrade warehouse storage, and calculate the grain loss that conversion to those technologies would prevent. We then assess the public support that would be required to trigger private investment in modern storage systems.
This paper explores the lack of widespread private investment in improved grain storage and examines the potential for public support to stimulate greater private sector investment in modern storage. We calculate the returns to investment in bulk grain silos and hermetic cocoons that could upgrade warehouse storage, and calculate the grain loss that conversion to those technologies would prevent. We then assess the public support that would be required to trigger private investment in modern storage systems.
Proof of concept and early development stage of market-oriented high iron and zinc rice expressing dicot ferritin and rice nicotianamine synthase genes
Tsakirpaloglou, Nikolaos; Bueno-Mota, Gela; Soriano, Jessica Candace; Arcillas, Erwin; Yu, Su-May, Bouis, Howarth; Arines, Felichi Mae; Stangoulis, James; Trijatmiko, Kurniawan Rudi; Reinke, Russell; Tohme, Joseph; Slamet-Loedin, Inez H.. 2023
Tsakirpaloglou, Nikolaos; Bueno-Mota, Gela; Soriano, Jessica Candace; Arcillas, Erwin; Yu, Su-May, Bouis, Howarth; Arines, Felichi Mae; Stangoulis, James; Trijatmiko, Kurniawan Rudi; Reinke, Russell; Tohme, Joseph; Slamet-Loedin, Inez H.. 2023
DOI : 10.1038/s41598-022-26854-z
Abstract | View
Micronutrient deficiencies such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and vitamin A, constitute a severe global public health phenomenon. Over half of preschool children and two-thirds of nonpregnant women of reproductive age worldwide have micronutrient deficiencies. Biofortification is a cost-effective strategy that comprises a meaningful and sustainable means of addressing this issue by delivering micronutrients through staple foods to populations with limited access to diverse diets and other nutritional interventions. Here, we report on the proof-of-concept and early development stage of a collection of biofortified rice events with a high density of Fe and Zn in polished grains that have been pursued further to advance development for product release. In total, eight constructs were developed specifically expressing dicot ferritins and the rice nicotianamine synthase 2 (OsNAS2) gene under different combinations of promoters. A large-scale transformation of these constructs to Bangladesh and Philippines commercial indica cultivars and subsequent molecular screening and confined field evaluations resulted in the identification of a pool of ten events with Fe and Zn concentrations in polished grains of up to 11 μg g−1 and up to 37 μg g−1, respectively. The latter has the potential to reduce the prevalence of inadequate Zn intake for women of childbearing age in Bangladesh and in the Philippines by 30% and 50%, respectively, compared to the current prevalence. To our knowledge, this is the first potential biotechnology public-sector product that adopts the product cycle phase-gated approach, routinely applied in the private sector.
Rural Bangladeshi consumers’ (un)willingness to pay for low-milled rice: Implications for zinc biofortification
Herrington, Caitlin; Maredia, Mywish K.; Ortega, David L.; Taleon, Victor; Birol, Ekin; Sarkar, Md Abdur Rouf; Rahaman, Md Shajedur. 2023
Herrington, Caitlin; Maredia, Mywish K.; Ortega, David L.; Taleon, Victor; Birol, Ekin; Sarkar, Md Abdur Rouf; Rahaman, Md Shajedur. 2023
DOI : 10.1111/agec.12739
Abstract | View
Zinc deficiency is a severe public health problem in Bangladesh. We examine the effects of nutritional information on rural consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for two ways to increase zinc intake through rice, the main staple crop–low-milling that gives rice grains a distinctive light brown color (a visible trait) and sets it apart from the culturally preferred high-milled white rice grain and biofortification of rice with increased zinc content (an invisible trait), which is also low-milled to retain maximum zinc content. Results of our economic experiments suggest that with nutritional information, consumers are willing to pay a premium of 4.6% for zinc biofortified rice compared to non-biofortified rice, when milled at the same level. However, results confirm the strong preference for high-milled rice by Bangladeshi consumers who discounted low-milled rice by 8%–10% even after receiving information on the nutritional benefits of biofortified or low-milled rice. We find that consumers’ WTP for the two high-zinc-low-milled rice types (biofortified and non-biofortified) is positively correlated with being a female, more educated, belonging to households engaged in non-farm activities and with children under 5 years of age. Results point to the importance of nutritional awareness campaigns for increasing zinc biofortified and low-milled rice consumption and guiding the targeting strategy for such campaigns. Given the consumer preference for high-milled rice, this study also points to the need for exploring the rice fortification strategy to address the challenge of malnutrition.
Landscape report on existing financial and logistic services in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Uddin, Riad; Shamma, Raisa. Washington, DC 2022
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Uddin, Riad; Shamma, Raisa. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136554
Abstract | View
The economy of Bangladesh is largely defined by the agricultural sector, which is reflected in its yearly GDP contribution of approximately 11% in the past few years (World Bank, 2022). The sector holds po tential for even higher contributions to the economy, provided effective initiatives related to financial in clusion and logistical innovations are implemented. Even during the immense global challenges during to the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s agricultural sector persisted. Improving on traditional initiatives and practices to address constraints faced by farmers and other agricultural value chain actors will ena ble the sector to expand and benefit new sections of the population, including those most vulnerable such as the poor, women, and youth.
Many of the recent innovations in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh have been initiated by ‘AgriTech’ companies/start-ups in the space of financial and logistical services. Financial services are available for both small and large-scale agriculture operations in the country. Besides innovations in fi nancial services, there has been a burgeoning list of logistical services as well. Utilizing this wave of innovations appropriately can help the agricultural sector reach its full potential for success.
This report is arranged in the following manner. First section 1 discusses the traditional services in fi nancial and logistic sectors, and then section 2 discusses the existing constraints in both sectors. Sec tions 3 and 4 go into detail on financial and logistical innovations respectively that aim at addressing the discussed constraints. Both sections 3 and 4 have subsections giving a brief description of organiza tions that are behind these innovations.
Many of the recent innovations in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh have been initiated by ‘AgriTech’ companies/start-ups in the space of financial and logistical services. Financial services are available for both small and large-scale agriculture operations in the country. Besides innovations in fi nancial services, there has been a burgeoning list of logistical services as well. Utilizing this wave of innovations appropriately can help the agricultural sector reach its full potential for success.
This report is arranged in the following manner. First section 1 discusses the traditional services in fi nancial and logistic sectors, and then section 2 discusses the existing constraints in both sectors. Sec tions 3 and 4 go into detail on financial and logistical innovations respectively that aim at addressing the discussed constraints. Both sections 3 and 4 have subsections giving a brief description of organiza tions that are behind these innovations.
Feed the Future Bangladesh: Zone of Influence Survey 2018/2019 Baseline
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2022
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136550
Abstract | View
Feed the Future seeks to sustainably reduce global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition by helping partner countries boost agriculture-led growth, resilience, and nutrition. Program efforts are designed to impact the population in Zones of Influence (ZOI) in Feed the Future target countries. The ZOI is the targeted sub-national regions and districts where the program intends to achieve the greatest household- and individual-level impacts on poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Progress in achieving Feed the Future’s objectives is tracked using population-based performance indicators collected at baseline then periodically thereafter.
The purpose of the Bangladesh Feed the Future Phase 2 ZOI 2018/2019 Baseline Survey, referred to as the Feed the Future Bangladesh ZOI Baseline Survey 2018/2019 throughout this report, is to provide the U.S. Government interagency partners, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), USAID/Bangladesh, the Government of Bangladesh, and development partners with information on the current status of the Feed the Future ZOI-level population-based survey indicators.
The purpose of the Bangladesh Feed the Future Phase 2 ZOI 2018/2019 Baseline Survey, referred to as the Feed the Future Bangladesh ZOI Baseline Survey 2018/2019 throughout this report, is to provide the U.S. Government interagency partners, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), USAID/Bangladesh, the Government of Bangladesh, and development partners with information on the current status of the Feed the Future ZOI-level population-based survey indicators.
Feed the Future Bangladesh 2018/2019: Zone of influence endline assessment (April 2013 – December 2020)
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2020
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2020
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136551
Abstract | View
Feed the Future seeks to sustainably reduce global poverty, hunger, and malnutrition by helping partner countries boost agriculture-led growth, resilience, and nutrition. Program efforts are designed to impact the population in Zones of Influence (ZOI) in Feed the Future target countries. Progress in achieving Feed the Future’s objectives is tracked using population-based performance indicators collected at baseline then periodically thereafter.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) produced this report for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), USAID/Bangladesh, the Government of Bangladesh, and development partners. The report compares indicator estimates and select demographic and household characteristics from the 2018/2019 ZOI Survey, which serves as the Feed the Future Phase One endline survey, with the baseline assessment conducted in 2011/2012 in Bangladesh. This report only includes the Feed the Future Phase One indicators. Secondary data sources are used when needed or appropriate.
The Feed the Future Phase One ZOI in Bangladesh includes mostly rural areas in 20 districts consisting of 120 upazilas (sub-districts) in three divisions in the south and southwest region of the country.
This assessment provides information about progress on Feed the Future Phase One ZOI indicators. The assessment is designed to show changes in key indicator estimates from the Feed the Future Phase One baseline assessment to the endline assessment. The Feed the Future ZOI Survey endline assessment, however, was not designed to support conclusions of causality or program attribution.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) produced this report for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS), USAID/Bangladesh, the Government of Bangladesh, and development partners. The report compares indicator estimates and select demographic and household characteristics from the 2018/2019 ZOI Survey, which serves as the Feed the Future Phase One endline survey, with the baseline assessment conducted in 2011/2012 in Bangladesh. This report only includes the Feed the Future Phase One indicators. Secondary data sources are used when needed or appropriate.
The Feed the Future Phase One ZOI in Bangladesh includes mostly rural areas in 20 districts consisting of 120 upazilas (sub-districts) in three divisions in the south and southwest region of the country.
This assessment provides information about progress on Feed the Future Phase One ZOI indicators. The assessment is designed to show changes in key indicator estimates from the Feed the Future Phase One baseline assessment to the endline assessment. The Feed the Future ZOI Survey endline assessment, however, was not designed to support conclusions of causality or program attribution.
Comparing food and cash transfers to the ultra-poor in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter U.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Nasreen, Mahbuba; Hoddinott, John; Bryan, Elizabeth. Washington, D.C. 2009
Ahmed, Akhter U.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Nasreen, Mahbuba; Hoddinott, John; Bryan, Elizabeth. Washington, D.C. 2009
DOI : 10.2499/9780896291737RR163
Abstract | View
Bangladesh has some social safety net programs that transfer food to the poor, some that transfer cash, and some that provide a combination of both. This study evaluates the relative impacts of food and cash transfers on food security and livelihood outcomes among the ultra poor in Bangladesh. The programs impacts are evaluated according to various measures, including how well transfers are delivered; which transfers beneficiaries prefer; how accurately the programs target the extremely poor; effects on food security, livelihoods, and women's empowerment; and cost effectiveness. The report identifies what has and has not worked in food and cash transfers and recommends ways of improving these programs. This study will be valuable to policymakers and others concerned with poverty reduction in Bangladesh and elsewhere.
Understanding local food systems in South Asia: An assessment approach and design
Gupta, Manavi; Kishore, Avinash; Scott, Samuel; Chakraborty, Shreya; Chellattan, Prakashan Veettil; Choudhury, Samira; Krupnik, Timothy; Kumar, Neha; Neupane, Sumanta; Patwardhan, Sharvari; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Urfels, Anton; Menon, Purnima. Washington, DC 2022
Gupta, Manavi; Kishore, Avinash; Scott, Samuel; Chakraborty, Shreya; Chellattan, Prakashan Veettil; Choudhury, Samira; Krupnik, Timothy; Kumar, Neha; Neupane, Sumanta; Patwardhan, Sharvari; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Urfels, Anton; Menon, Purnima. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136543
Abstract | View
Home to one-quarter of humanity—one-fifth of whom are youth—South Asia has the world’s largest concentration of poverty and malnutrition (1–3). Despite producing one-quarter of the world’s consumed food, the region’s agrifood systems face formidable challenges in producing an adequate and affordable supply of the diverse foods needed for sustainable healthy diets (4,5). Unhealthy food consumption is rising, and farming systems are threatened by unsustainable groundwater withdrawal due to poorly developed food and energy policies. In addition, South Asia’s farmers are both contributors and victims of climate change and extreme weather, which contributes to rural out-migration—particularly of youth—resulting in rising labor scarcity and increased production costs.
TAFSSA (Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia), a CGIAR Regional Integrated Initiative, aims to address these challenges by delivering actionable evidence and scalable innovations across these regions through a coordinated program of research and engagement from farmer to consumer.
One of the roadblocks to addressing these challenges is the lack of credible and high-resolution data on food systems in the region. The TAFSSA food systems assessment aims to provide a reliable, accessible and integrated evidence base that links farm production, market access, dietary patterns, climate risk responses, and natural resource management in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. It is intended to be a multi-year assessment.
TAFSSA (Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia), a CGIAR Regional Integrated Initiative, aims to address these challenges by delivering actionable evidence and scalable innovations across these regions through a coordinated program of research and engagement from farmer to consumer.
One of the roadblocks to addressing these challenges is the lack of credible and high-resolution data on food systems in the region. The TAFSSA food systems assessment aims to provide a reliable, accessible and integrated evidence base that links farm production, market access, dietary patterns, climate risk responses, and natural resource management in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. It is intended to be a multi-year assessment.
Availability of data on diets in South Asia: A data availability assessment for Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan
Scott, Samuel; Neupane, Sumanta; Menon, Purnima; Kishore, Avinash; Krupnik, Timothy. Washington, DC 2022
Scott, Samuel; Neupane, Sumanta; Menon, Purnima; Kishore, Avinash; Krupnik, Timothy. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136544
Abstract | View
ABOUT THIS NOTE
This research note presents findings on the availability of diet-related data in publiclyavailable population-based surveys conducted in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan in the last decade. It is intended to be used by researchers and policymakers to understand the data landscape and identify measurement priorities for future surveys.
KEY FINDINGS
• Data on diets for older children and adolescents are captured less frequently than
for younger children and women of reproductive age.
• Data are mostly available on food group consumption and for infants and young
children; data on consumption of unhealthy foods is poor.
• Few surveys capture quantity of foods consumed; estimating nutrient intake from
population-based surveys is therefore not possible.
• Only Bangladesh currently has large-scale publicly available and repeated rounds of
data on dietary intakes for multiple age groups.
• Dietary data are essential to shape public policy on nutrition; financial and technical
investments are needed to scale up data availability in South Asia.
This research note presents findings on the availability of diet-related data in publiclyavailable population-based surveys conducted in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan in the last decade. It is intended to be used by researchers and policymakers to understand the data landscape and identify measurement priorities for future surveys.
KEY FINDINGS
• Data on diets for older children and adolescents are captured less frequently than
for younger children and women of reproductive age.
• Data are mostly available on food group consumption and for infants and young
children; data on consumption of unhealthy foods is poor.
• Few surveys capture quantity of foods consumed; estimating nutrient intake from
population-based surveys is therefore not possible.
• Only Bangladesh currently has large-scale publicly available and repeated rounds of
data on dietary intakes for multiple age groups.
• Dietary data are essential to shape public policy on nutrition; financial and technical
investments are needed to scale up data availability in South Asia.
Proposed indicators for selecting needy participants for the Vulnerable Women's Benefit (VWB) Program in urban Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2022
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136534
Abstract | View
Bangladesh has extensive experience with targeted social safety net programs. Most of these programs are widely credited with providing the poor access to food and improving their livelihoods. However, the need for assistance is overwhelming. According to the latest poverty estimates, 24.3 percent of the country’s 163 million people were poor in 2016 (BBS 2019). Improving program targeting to reach the poorest of the poor effectively is needed to address the wide gap between the resources available for safety net programs and those in need of support.
Targeting effectiveness indicates the extent to which program benefits are received by the neediest versus the less needy or non-needy population. A well-targeted intervention improves the real income, food consumption, and nutrition of the neediest without providing those benefits to members of society who are better off. As such, targeting benefits to those most in need is a cost-effective way of implementing a program.
Upon request from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) undertook this study to develop indicators for targeting the urban poor through the Vulnerable Women’s Benefit (VWB) program in Bangladesh.
Targeting effectiveness indicates the extent to which program benefits are received by the neediest versus the less needy or non-needy population. A well-targeted intervention improves the real income, food consumption, and nutrition of the neediest without providing those benefits to members of society who are better off. As such, targeting benefits to those most in need is a cost-effective way of implementing a program.
Upon request from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Bangladesh, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) undertook this study to develop indicators for targeting the urban poor through the Vulnerable Women’s Benefit (VWB) program in Bangladesh.
Assessing COVID-19's effects on gender-related issues using a phone survey in the Feed the Future zone of influence in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Abedin, Naveen; Ghostlaw, Julie. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2020
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Abedin, Naveen; Ghostlaw, Julie. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2020
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136536
Abstract | View
The Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP), implemented by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), designed and conducted a telephone survey to capture the differential effects of COVID-19 on women during the first five months (April-August 2020) of the coronavirus outbreak in Bangladesh. This report provides the survey findings, focusing on changes in economic status, food and water security, empowerment of women, and domestic conflicts within the household since the start of the pandemic.
Assessing indicators for targeting the needy under the Improved Maternity and Lactating Mother Allowance Program in rural and urban Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2018
Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2018
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136538
Abstract | View
Child stunting in Bangladesh declined dramatically over the past two decades, but remains high at approximately 36 percent (NIPORT 2016). Inadequate maternal nutrition during pregnancy remains prevalent in Bangladesh and is associated with children being born small-for-gestational-age, which is responsible for up to 20 percent of stunting in children between the ages of 1 to 5 years old (Nguyen et al. 2017; Christian et al. 2013). Diets of young children in Bangladesh are also grossly inadequate, further contributing to chronic undernutrition. Renewed efforts to reduce the problem of child undernutrition must focus on improving maternal nutrition (during pregnancy) and the nutrition of the child.
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL) evaluation results
Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John; Menon, Purnima; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2018
Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John; Menon, Purnima; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2018
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136540
Abstract | View
The relationships between agricultural diversity, dietary diversity, and gender norms are complex and multi-dimensional. To better understand these links, and how to most effectively promote nutrition- and gender-sensitive agriculture in Bangladesh, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) designed the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL) pilot project, implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. ANGeL aimed to identify actions and investments in agriculture that will help increase farm household income, improve nutrition, and empower women.
Using rigorous research, namely, a randomized controlled trial design, IFPRI assessed impacts of the ANGeL project interventions on various outcomes. Over the 17-month implementation period, with no inputs provided to participating farm households besides knowledge from trainings, ANGeL generated useful lessons on strengthening the agriculture-nutrition-gender nexus in the country.
Both men and women benefited from agricultural trainings, yet women learned more from the same trainings. Crop diversity increased substantially in homestead gardens, mainly due to ANGeL’s emphasis on homestead food production from nutritious crops. Farmers also adopted improved production practices. We consistently found that women were more likely to apply knowledge gained from agricultural production trainings to adopt various types of improved agriculture production practices, such as pest disease and control, seed production and care, and use of quality fertilizer.
Similarly, improvements in nutrition knowledge were far greater for women and when trainings were combined. These improvements in knowledge had impacts on nutrition outcomes, with increases in household diet quality and child dietary diversity over the project period.
The strongest improvements in empowerment came when agriculture, nutrition, and gender sensitization trainings were combined. ANGeL’s household approach empowered women and men in unique ways: while women became more empowered in asset ownership and income decisions, men became more empowered in production and income decisions in select interventions. Attitudes related to gender of both women and men also improved, with more women recognizing that they make important contributions to their communities.
ANGeL is the first ministry-led initiative that uses a rigorous impact evaluation to develop an evidence base to design and implement a national program. The ANGeL project is a significant step towards filling critical knowledge and action gaps in the country on promoting nutrition-and gender-sensitive agriculture.
Using rigorous research, namely, a randomized controlled trial design, IFPRI assessed impacts of the ANGeL project interventions on various outcomes. Over the 17-month implementation period, with no inputs provided to participating farm households besides knowledge from trainings, ANGeL generated useful lessons on strengthening the agriculture-nutrition-gender nexus in the country.
Both men and women benefited from agricultural trainings, yet women learned more from the same trainings. Crop diversity increased substantially in homestead gardens, mainly due to ANGeL’s emphasis on homestead food production from nutritious crops. Farmers also adopted improved production practices. We consistently found that women were more likely to apply knowledge gained from agricultural production trainings to adopt various types of improved agriculture production practices, such as pest disease and control, seed production and care, and use of quality fertilizer.
Similarly, improvements in nutrition knowledge were far greater for women and when trainings were combined. These improvements in knowledge had impacts on nutrition outcomes, with increases in household diet quality and child dietary diversity over the project period.
The strongest improvements in empowerment came when agriculture, nutrition, and gender sensitization trainings were combined. ANGeL’s household approach empowered women and men in unique ways: while women became more empowered in asset ownership and income decisions, men became more empowered in production and income decisions in select interventions. Attitudes related to gender of both women and men also improved, with more women recognizing that they make important contributions to their communities.
ANGeL is the first ministry-led initiative that uses a rigorous impact evaluation to develop an evidence base to design and implement a national program. The ANGeL project is a significant step towards filling critical knowledge and action gaps in the country on promoting nutrition-and gender-sensitive agriculture.
Bt Brinjal impact assessment: Outcome brochure
Ahmed, Akhter; Ghostlaw, Julie . Dhaka, Bangladesh 2019
Ahmed, Akhter; Ghostlaw, Julie . Dhaka, Bangladesh 2019
Abstract | View
Background
Agricultural advancements have transformed Bangladesh from a food-deficit to surplus country. Now, agricultural innovations are needed to confront emerging challenges: the slowdown in agricultural growth, low agricultural diversity, the effects of climate change, and a rise in pest infestations and plant diseases, to name a few. Brinjal (eggplant) is a high-value crop widely grown and consumed in Bangladesh. Brinjal is highly vulnerable to the fruit and shoot borer pest, and farmers spray the crop heavily with pesticides. Farmers’ spending on pesticides reduces their income; and increased pesticide use heightens their risk of contracting pesticide-elated illnesses, and facing related medical costs. Developing modern, pest-resistant crop varieties can help tackle these issues.
Agricultural biotechnologies such as Bt brinjal hold promise. Although the Government of Bangladesh approved cultivation of 4 Bt varieties in 2013, evidence on their potential is still lacking.
What is the Bt Brinjal Study?
In 2017–2018, IFPRI and the Government of Bangladesh partnered to estimate the impacts of Bt brinjal on production systems, producer welfare, and health outcomes. The study was designed by IFPRI’s Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP), implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture under the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), and coordinated by the Agricultural Policy Support Unit (APSU). Project partners regularly monitored the brinjal plots throughout the implementation period. The Bt brinjal impact assessment was supported by the
Government of Bangladesh, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), and Cornell University
Agricultural advancements have transformed Bangladesh from a food-deficit to surplus country. Now, agricultural innovations are needed to confront emerging challenges: the slowdown in agricultural growth, low agricultural diversity, the effects of climate change, and a rise in pest infestations and plant diseases, to name a few. Brinjal (eggplant) is a high-value crop widely grown and consumed in Bangladesh. Brinjal is highly vulnerable to the fruit and shoot borer pest, and farmers spray the crop heavily with pesticides. Farmers’ spending on pesticides reduces their income; and increased pesticide use heightens their risk of contracting pesticide-elated illnesses, and facing related medical costs. Developing modern, pest-resistant crop varieties can help tackle these issues.
Agricultural biotechnologies such as Bt brinjal hold promise. Although the Government of Bangladesh approved cultivation of 4 Bt varieties in 2013, evidence on their potential is still lacking.
What is the Bt Brinjal Study?
In 2017–2018, IFPRI and the Government of Bangladesh partnered to estimate the impacts of Bt brinjal on production systems, producer welfare, and health outcomes. The study was designed by IFPRI’s Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP), implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture under the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), and coordinated by the Agricultural Policy Support Unit (APSU). Project partners regularly monitored the brinjal plots throughout the implementation period. The Bt brinjal impact assessment was supported by the
Government of Bangladesh, the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM), and Cornell University
Assessing COVID effects on farmers using a phone survey in the Feed the Future zone of influence in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Abedin, Naveen; Ghostlaw, Julie. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2020
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Abedin, Naveen; Ghostlaw, Julie. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2020
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136533
Abstract | View
The Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP), implemented by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), designed and conducted a telephone survey to capture the effects of COVID-19 on farmers during the first five months after the coronavirus outbreak began in Bangladesh. This report provides the survey’s findings, with particular attention to access to credit and assistance and supply chain disruptions (e.g., labor shortages, access to agricultural inputs, selling prices of outputs, etc.).
CGIAR initiative on One Health: Protecting human health through a One Health approach
Nguyen-Viet, Hung; Hoffmann, Vivian; Bett, Bernard; Fèvre, Eric; Moodley, Arshnee; Mateo-Sagasta, Javier; Mohan, Chadag; Daszak, Peter; Bonfoh, Bassirou. Nairobi, Kenya 2022
Nguyen-Viet, Hung; Hoffmann, Vivian; Bett, Bernard; Fèvre, Eric; Moodley, Arshnee; Mateo-Sagasta, Javier; Mohan, Chadag; Daszak, Peter; Bonfoh, Bassirou. Nairobi, Kenya 2022
Abstract | View
This initiative aims to show how a One Health approach – which recognizes the interconnections between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment – can help reduce antimicrobial resistance, improve food and water safety, and manage zoonotic diseases, leading to better human, animal, and environment health. It forms part of CGIAR’s new research portfolio, delivering science and innovation to transform food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.
Private transfers, public transfers, and food insecurity during the time of COVID-19: Evidence from Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hoddinott, John F.; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2022
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hoddinott, John F.; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136490
Abstract | View
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest has grown in what kinds of assistance protect household food security during shocks. We study rural and urban Bangladesh from 2018-19 to late 2021, assessing how pre-pandemic access to social safety net programs and private remittances relate to household food insecurity during the pandemic. Using longitudinal data and estimating differences-in-differences models with household fixed effects, we find that pre-pandemic access to social protection is associated with significant reductions in food insecurity in all rounds collected during the pandemic, particularly in our urban sample. However, pre-pandemic access to remittances shows no similar protective effect.
Comparing delivery channels to promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2022
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136473
Abstract | View
We use a randomized controlled trial in rural Bangladesh to compare two models of delivering nutrition content jointly to husbands and wives: deploying female nutrition workers versus mostly male agriculture extension workers. Both approaches increased nutrition knowledge of men and women, household and individual diet quality, and women’s empowerment. Intervention effects on agriculture and nutrition knowledge, agricultural production diversity, dietary diversity, women’s empowerment, and gender parity do not significantly differ between models where nutrition workers versus agriculture extension workers provide the training. The exception is in an attitudes score, where results indicate same-sex agents may affect scores differently than opposite-sex agents. Our results suggest opposite-sex agents may not necessarily be less effective in providing training. In South Asia, where agricultural extension systems and the pipeline to those systems are male-dominated, training men to deliver nutrition messages may offer a temporary solution to the shortage of female extension workers and offer opportunities to scale promote nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
Development and validation of a health and nutrition module for the project-level Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI+HN)
Heckert, Jessica; Martinez, Elena M.; Seymour, Greg; Pereira, Audrey; Roy, Shalini; Kim, Sunny S.; Malapit, Hazel J.. 2023
Heckert, Jessica; Martinez, Elena M.; Seymour, Greg; Pereira, Audrey; Roy, Shalini; Kim, Sunny S.; Malapit, Hazel J.. 2023
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13464
Abstract | View
Agricultural development projects increasingly aim to improve health and nutrition outcomes, often by engaging women. Although evidence shows such projects can improve women's and children's health and nutrition and empower women, little is known about their impacts on women's health- and nutrition-related agency and the extent to which impacts emerge through women's empowerment, largely due to a lack of instruments that measure the dimensions of women's agency that are directly relevant to health and nutrition outcomes. We developed an optional, complementary module for the project-level women's empowerment in agriculture index (pro-WEAI) to measure health- and nutrition-related agency (pro-WEAI + HN). Our method for developing related indicators used data collected from six agricultural development programmes implemented across Bangladesh, Burkina Faso and Mali (pooled sample = 12,114) and applied psychometric analysis (exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis) and the Alkire−Foster methodology. Results revealed seven indicators covering women's agency in the areas of her own health and diet; her health and diet during pregnancy; her child's diet; breastfeeding and weaning; purchasing food and health products; and acquiring food and health products. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis revealed measurement invariance across contexts and samples. Tests of association (Cramer's V) and redundancy suggest that the pro-WEAI + HN indicators measured aspects of agency that are distinct from the core pro-WEAI. The uptake of these indicators in studies of nutrition-sensitive agricultural development projects may strengthen the evidence on how such programming can enhance women's empowerment to improve health and nutrition outcomes for themselves and their children.
The reverse gender wage gap in Bangladesh: Demystifying the counterintuitive
Rahman, Mustafizur; Al-Hasan, Md.. 2022
Rahman, Mustafizur; Al-Hasan, Md.. 2022
DOI : 10.1007/s41027-022-00402-9
Abstract | View
There is a gender wage gap (men earning more than women) in labour market of most countries, to varying degrees, is widely recognised in relevant literature. In this backdrop, the findings of the ILO study (ILO 2018), based on an analysis of cross-country data, showing Bangladesh as an outlier in this regard, calls for an explanation and indepth investigation. Based on Bangladesh labour force data, the ILO report found factor-weighted hourly wage in Bangladesh to be 5.0% more for women compared to that of men. This counter-intuitive presence of reverse gender wage gap is a departure from results derived for all other countries in the sample of 60 countries. The study examines why the ILO results are what they are, what are the reasons that have informed the ILO findings and whether a different (improved) methodology would give other results. The study undertakes a re-estimation of gender wage gap in Bangladesh by changing the specifications in the ILO study, by deploying human capital, wage discrimination and segmented labour market theories and quantile regression. The study finds that under full specification men are found to earn more than women in the Bangladesh labour market, albeit not to a significant extent—the wage gap was found to be in the range of between 2.0 and 4.0%. While the study does not find strong embedded discrimination against women, it does find sectoral segmentation, and presence of glass ceiling in the Bangladesh labour market.
Health-related quality of life and coping strategies adopted by COVID-19 survivors: A nationwide cross-sectional study in Bangladesh
Hossain, Mohammad Anwar; Shafin, Rubayet; Walton, Lori Maria; Raigangar, Veena; Jahid, Iqbal Kabir; Islam, Mir Raihanul. 2022
Hossain, Mohammad Anwar; Shafin, Rubayet; Walton, Lori Maria; Raigangar, Veena; Jahid, Iqbal Kabir; Islam, Mir Raihanul. 2022
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0277694
Abstract | View
Intoduction: This study aims to investigate the health-related quality of life and coping strategies among COVID-19 survivors in Bangladesh.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 2198 adult, COVID-19 survivors living in Bangladesh. Data were collected from previously diagnosed COVID-19 participants (confirmed by an RT-PCR test) via door-to-door interviews in the eight different divisions in Bangladesh. For data collection, Bengali-translated Brief COPE inventory and WHO Brief Quality of Life (WHO-QoLBREF) questionnaires were used. The data collection period was from October 2020 to March 2021.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 2198 adult, COVID-19 survivors living in Bangladesh. Data were collected from previously diagnosed COVID-19 participants (confirmed by an RT-PCR test) via door-to-door interviews in the eight different divisions in Bangladesh. For data collection, Bengali-translated Brief COPE inventory and WHO Brief Quality of Life (WHO-QoLBREF) questionnaires were used. The data collection period was from October 2020 to March 2021.
Changes in women’s empowerment in the household, women’s diet diversity, and their relationship against the background of COVID-19 in southern Bangladesh
Lecoutere, Els; van den Berg, Marrit; de Brauw, Alan. 2023
Lecoutere, Els; van den Berg, Marrit; de Brauw, Alan. 2023
DOI : 10.1016/j.asieco.2022.101559
Abstract | View
The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, associated public health measures, and people’s reactions were projected to have caused job losses among women, a decline in women’s empowerment and reduced women’s diet diversity. Using a November 2020 telephone survey to re-interview adult female respondents of a November 2019 in-person survey, contrary to expectations we find that more women found than lost jobs, and women’s diet diversity increased over the year partly marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. We did not find evidence of a decline in women’s involvement in food purchase decisions, nor women’s autonomy over use of household income. The change in women’s outside employment is neither statistically related to changes in women’s involvement in food purchase decisions, changes women’s autonomy over use of household income, nor changes in women’s diet diversity. Change in women’s involvement in food purchase decisions is positively related with change in women’s diet diversity and change in women’s autonomy over income use is negatively related with change in women’s diet diversity.
Rice price stabilization in Bangladesh
Dorosh, Paul A.; Shahabuddin, Quazi. Washington, DC 2002
Dorosh, Paul A.; Shahabuddin, Quazi. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
To meet its overall objective of ensuring food security for all households, the Government of Bangladesh undertakes several activities: it intervenes in markets to stabilize prices, targets food distribution to poor households and provides emergency relief after natural disasters. This paper provides measures of the variability of domestic and international rice prices, and examines the mix of government intervention and private sector participation in rice markets. The analysis shows that the relatively high degree of price stability achieved in the 1990s was due in large part to private sector imports that stabilized markets following major production shortfalls. Domestic rice procurement contributed relatively little to raising domestic producer prices at harvest time, involved only a small percentage of farmers, and incurred excessive costs following successful harvests because of procurement prices set far in excess of market prices."
The Food For Education program in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter U.; del Ninno, Carlo. Washington, DC 2002
Ahmed, Akhter U.; del Ninno, Carlo. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
The Government of Bangladesh launched the innovative Food for Education (FFE) program in 1993. The FFE program provides a free monthly ration of rice or wheat to poor families if their children attend primary school. The goals of this program are to increase primary school enrollment, promote attendance, reduce dropout rates, and enhance the quality of education. This paper presents the findings of a recent International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) evaluation of the FFE program that demonstrates the extent to which these goals were met. This evaluation uses primary data collected from multiple surveys covering schools, households, communities, and foodgrain dealers. The authors first examine the performance of the FFE program, showing that it has largely fulfilled its objectives of increasing school enrollment, promoting school attendance, and preventing dropouts. The enrollment increase was greater for girls than for boys. The quality of education, however, remains a problem. Next, they analyze the targeting effectiveness of the program, its impact on food security, and its efficiency in distributing rations. In general, the FFE program targets low-income households. However, there is considerable scope for improving targeting, as a sizable number of poor households remain excluded from the program even while many nonpoor households are included. Furthermore, the evaluation results indicate that the functioning of the current private-dealer-based foodgrain distribution system of the FFE program is not satisfactory.
Case study -- the shrimp export industry in Bangladesh
Cato, James C.; Subasinge, S.. Washington, DC 2003
Cato, James C.; Subasinge, S.. Washington, DC 2003
Abstract | View
By the end of the 1970s, the Bangladesh seafood processing industry had expanded rapidly. But sanitary facilities, technology adaptation, and adequate training did not keep pace. Shrimp exports suffered in the late 1970s, and the U. S. Food and Drug Administration placed seafood imports from Bangladesh under automatic detention. This was only the beginning of the export market problems arising from substandard product safety and quality that Bangladesh’s shrimp industry faced over the next two decades. This case study illustrates the actions taken by Bangladesh, with the aid of external partners, to overcome substantial obstacles to participation in world shrimp markets.
Rapid assessments in urban areas
Garrett, James L.; Downen, Jeanne. Washington, DC 2001
Garrett, James L.; Downen, Jeanne. Washington, DC 2001
Assessing the impact of agricultural research on poverty using the sustainable livelihoods framework
Adato, Michelle; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela. Washington, DC 2002
Adato, Michelle; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
As the goals of international agricultural research move beyond increasing food production to the broader aims of reducing poverty, both agricultural research and studies of its impact become more complex. Yet examining the magnitude and mechanisms through which different types of agricultural research are able to help the poor is essential, not only to evaluate claims for continued funding of such research, but more importantly, to guide future research in ways that will make the greatest contribution to poverty reduction. This paper reports on the approach used in a multicountry study of the poverty impact of research programs under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The studies use an expanded understanding of poverty that goes beyond income- or consumption-based headcounts or severity measures, to consider many other factors that poor people in different contexts define as contributing to their vulnerability, poverty, and well-being. The sustainable livelihoods framework provides a common conceptual approach to examining the ways in which agricultural research and technologies fit (or sometimes do not fit) into the livelihood strategies of households or individuals with different types of assets and other resources, strategies that often involve multiple activities undertaken at different times of the year. This paper reports on the conceptual framework, methods, and findings to date of these studies. It provides an overview of the sustainable livelihoods approach, how it can be applied to agricultural research, and describes detailed methods and results from five case studies: (1) modern rice varieties in Bangladesh; (2) polyculture fishponds and vegetable gardens in Bangladesh; (3) soil fertility management practices in Kenya; (4) hybrid maize in Zimbabwe; and (5) creolized maize varieties in Mexico.
Strengthening women's assets and status
Ambler, John; Pandolfelli, Lauren; Kramer, Anna; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela. Washington, D.C. 2007
Ambler, John; Pandolfelli, Lauren; Kramer, Anna; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela. Washington, D.C. 2007
Macro policies and the food sector in Bangladesh
Fontana, Marzia; Wobst, Peter; Dorosh, Paul A.. Washington, DC 2001
Fontana, Marzia; Wobst, Peter; Dorosh, Paul A.. Washington, DC 2001
Abstract | View
Trade liberalization in the early 1990s in Bangladesh has enabled the private sector to respond with market-stabilizing inflows of rice and wheat following major production shortfalls. At the same time, easing of restrictions on foreign investment, combined with substantial depreciation of the Taka, have enabled exports of the labor-intensive ready-made garment industry to expand significantly. Moreover, recently discovered natural gas resources might be exploited, creating new revenues for the country. A proper assessment of the impact of such policies and economic developments on the poor requires a comprehensive framework to analyze interactions between different sectors, and linkages between macro and micro levels. In this paper we develop a computable general equilibrium model (CGE) with special treatment of the rice and wheat sectors, and we use it to simulate the impact of (i) a decline in rice production due to floods, (ii) a cut in food aid of wheat, and (iii) increased revenues from the exploitation of natural gas resources. The results suggest that most households benefit from more liberalized rice and wheat trade, particularly after rice production shocks. Impacts of a decline in wheat food aid are relatively modest, as food aid imports are not large enough to have major macroeconomic effects. The simulations of natural gas export revenues suggest that the extent of disincentives to agriculture will depend on whether or not the resulting real exchange rate appreciation is sufficient to lower the import parity price of rice enough so that domestic prices are affected. Finally, all three simulations show that the effects of economic shocks on women’s labor and female headed poor households can differ significantly from the effects on men’s labor and other households.
Modeling the effects of trade on women at work and at home
Fontana, Marzia. Washington, DC 2003
Fontana, Marzia. Washington, DC 2003
Abstract | View
The effects of trade on women vary by socio-economic characteristics, sector and country. This paper assesses how well such effects can be captured by a gendered social accounting matrix (SAM) and computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. These are applied comparatively to Bangladesh and Zambia to highlight how differences in resource endowments, labor market characteristics and socio-cultural norms shape the way in which trade expansion affects gender inequalities. The paper also compares simulation results to other approaches in the gender-and-economics literature, discusses strengths and limitations of the CGE methodology, and provides suggestions for further research.
A novel seasonal-spatial integrated model for improving the economic-environmental performance of crop production
Li, Man; Guo, Zhe; Zhang, Wei. 2022
Li, Man; Guo, Zhe; Zhang, Wei. 2022
DOI : 10.1016/j.mex.2022.101906
Abstract | View
Excess agricultural nitrogen, mainly from manure and chemical fertilizers, is a primary source of nutrient pollution and presents serious environmental threats to natural ecosystems and human health. Improvements in nitrogen-use efficiency in crop production are critical for addressing the triple challenge of food insecurity, environmental degradation, and climate change. Approaches such as sustainable intensification that stress technological innovations have received the most attention. But science-based cropland use planning, a promising complementary approach, has so far been largely overlooked. Here we develop a spatially integrated economic-ecological modeling method to assess this previously unexplored potential for improving the economic-environmental performance of crop production by examining the seasonal and spatial implications of cropland and fertilizer use in Bangladesh. In doing so, we aim to make the modeling method accessible to researchers and practitioners interested in achieving the dual goal of food production and environmental sustainability for countries that are characterized by seasonal and spatial variations in crop mix and cropping practices.
The contribution of IFPRI research and the impact of the Food for Education Program in Bangladesh on schooling outcomes and earnings
Ryan, James G.; Meng, Xin. Washington, DC 2004
Ryan, James G.; Meng, Xin. Washington, DC 2004
Abstract | View
This paper evaluates the influence and impact that IFPRI research and related activities had on the initiation, evolution, and impact of the food for education (FFE) program in Bangladesh. It reviews the outputs from the IFPRI program and summarizes the perceptions of various stakeholders about the value and influence of these on the FFE program. A novel experimental evaluation methodology is used on household sample survey data to analyze the effects of FFE on schooling outcomes. Earnings functions are then estimated using national household income and expenditure survey data to assess the effect of schooling on earnings. Combining the two, the effects of the increased participation and duration of schooling (due to the FFE program) on lifetime earnings of children are derived. Using these incremental earnings figures, the internal rates of return for both national and private investments in the FFE program are estimated. From these, a conservative assessment of the economic value of IFPRI's contribution to the generation of the national benefits is made... We conclude that a very conservative assessment of the economic value of IFPRI's contribution to the generation of the national benefits estimated above is that the FFE program began one year earlier than it might have without the IFPRI input. Based upon the total cost of the IFPRI-FFE research program of US$151,000, the internal rate of return on this research investment ranges from 64-96 percent. of all the other benefits are added to this, clearly the IFPRI contribution has been an outstanding economic investment. These benefits might have been even greater had IFPRI had an explicit communications strategy with more timely and available publications, along with appropriate advocacy based upon a more thorough knowledge of the dynamic political economy of government decision making in Bangladesh." -- from Authors' Abstract
Agricultural price policies under complex socioeconomic and natural constraints
Ahmed, Raisuddin. Washington, DC 1981
Ahmed, Raisuddin. Washington, DC 1981
MitigatePlus: Low-emission food systems
Verchot, Louis; Zhang, Wei. 2022
Verchot, Louis; Zhang, Wei. 2022
DOI : 10568/125162
Abstract | View
The MitigatePlus: Low-Emission Food Systems Initiative aims to contribute to low-emission food systems development and reduce net annual greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) from food systems. It forms part of CGIAR’s new Research Portfolio, delivering science and innovation to transform food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis.
MitigatePlus: Sistemas alimentarios bajos en emisiones
Verchot, Louis; Zhang, Wei. Montpellier, France 2022
Verchot, Louis; Zhang, Wei. Montpellier, France 2022
DOI : 10568/125163
Abstract | View
La iniciativa MitigatePlus: Sistemas Alimentarios Bajos en Emisiones tiene como objetivo contribuir a la reducción de las emisiones anuales de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) en los sistemas alimentarios. Esta iniciativa forma parte del nuevo portafolio de Investigación del CGIAR, que produce ciencia e innovación para transformar los sistemas alimentarios, terrestres e hídricos en un contexto de crisis climática.
The economic costs of a multisectoral nutrition programme implemented through a credit platform in Bangladesh
Thai, Giang; Margolies, Amy; Gelli, Aulo; Kumar, Neha; Sultana, Nasrin; Choo, Esther; Levin, Carol. 2022
Thai, Giang; Margolies, Amy; Gelli, Aulo; Kumar, Neha; Sultana, Nasrin; Choo, Esther; Levin, Carol. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13441
Abstract | View
Bangladesh struggles with undernutrition in women and young children. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes can help address rural undernutrition. However, questions remain on the costs of multisectoral programmes. This study estimates the economic costs of the Targeting and Re-aligning Agriculture to Improve Nutrition (TRAIN) programme, which integrated nutrition behaviour change and agricultural extension with a credit platform to support women's income generation. We used the Strengthening Economic Evaluation for Multisectoral Strategies for Nutrition (SEEMS-Nutrition) approach. The approach aligns costs with a multisectoral nutrition typology, identifying inputs and costs along programme impact pathways. We measure and allocate costs for activities and inputs, combining expenditures and micro-costing. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected retrospectively from implementers and beneficiaries. Expenditure data and economic costs were combined to calculate incremental economic costs. The intervention was designed around a randomised control trial. Incremental costs are presented by treatment arm. The total incremental cost was $795,040.34 for a 3.5-year period. The annual incremental costs per household were US$65.37 (Arm 2), USD$114.15 (Arm 3) and $157.11 (Arm 4). Total costs were led by nutrition counselling (37%), agriculture extension (12%), supervision (12%), training (12%), monitoring and evaluation (9%) and community events (5%). Total input costs were led by personnel (68%), travel (12%) and supplies (7%). This study presents the total incremental costs of an agriculture-nutrition intervention implemented through a microcredit platform. Costs per household compare favourably with similar interventions. Our results illustrate the value of a standardised costing approach for comparison with other multisectoral nutrition interventions.
Data availability on Nutrition Sensitive Social Protection Programs (NSSPPs) across population-based surveys in South Asia
Neupane, Sumanta; Scott, Samuel; Jangid, Manita; Shapleigh, Sara; Kim, Sunny S.; Akseer, Nadia; Heidkamp, Rebecca A.; Menon, Purnima. Washington, DC 2022
Neupane, Sumanta; Scott, Samuel; Jangid, Manita; Shapleigh, Sara; Kim, Sunny S.; Akseer, Nadia; Heidkamp, Rebecca A.; Menon, Purnima. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.136412
Abstract | View
Social safety nets (SSN) are cash or in-kind/food transfer programs designed to help individuals and households cope with chronic poverty, destitution, and vulnerability (World Bank, 2018). Some of these social protection programs include conditions or additional interventions that can enhance their impact on nutrition. Examples include attending health and nutrition services, targeting households with nutritionally vulnerable members (e.g., pregnant, and lactating women, children under 24 months), administration of transfers in a ender-sensitive manner, distributing transfers during periods of seasonal or climatic vulnerability, and focusing on emergencies (Ruel & Alderman, 2013; Alderman, 2016) developed a framework that identifies which of the World Bank ASPIRE categories of social safety nets have the potential to be nutrition sensitive. These are captured in six broad categories with multiple program subcategories (Table 1).
Public procurement of paddy in Bangladesh: Implications for policy
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Anowar, Sadat; Rahman, Mohammad Moshiur. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Anowar, Sadat; Rahman, Mohammad Moshiur. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Abstract | View
Public procurement of foodgrains in Bangladesh has significant implications for production and public foodgrain stock. Boro is the main rice crop cultivated in Bangladesh. During the 2019 boro harvest season, farmers in Bangladesh, particularly smallholder farmers, were adversely affected by low paddy prices. This paper assesses to what extent boro farmers could sell their paddy to the government, evaluates the efficacy of direct paddy procurement from farmers and examines options for improving Bangladesh’s foodgrain procurement system. Relevant actors in the boro paddy procurement system were inter- viewed, including boro-growing farm households, rice millers, traders, and government officials. We have also conducted a study in West Bengal, India, to explore alternative paddy procurement systems. Using evidence from Bangladesh and West Bengal, we propose two policy options for rice procurement in Bangladesh. First, when the paddy price is low and does not cover farmers’ production cost per unit, the government can purchase paddy directly from farmers to provide necessary price support. Second, when the paddy price is high, the government can purchase rice from the market through open tender to build or replenish public foodgrain stocks.
Assessing the impact of agricultural research on poverty using the sustainable livelihoods framework
Adato, Michelle; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela. Washington, DC 2002
Adato, Michelle; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
As the goals of international agricultural research move beyond increasing food production to the broader aims of reducing poverty, both agricultural research and studies of its impact become more complex. Yet examining the magnitude and mechanisms through which different types of agricultural research are able to help the poor is essential, not only to evaluate claims for continued funding of such research, but more importantly, to guide future research in ways that will make the greatest contribution to poverty reduction. This paper reports on the approach used in a multicountry study of the poverty impact of research programs under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The studies use an expanded understanding of poverty that goes beyond income- or consumption-based headcounts or severity measures, to consider many other factors that poor people in different contexts define as contributing to their vulnerability, poverty, and well-being. The sustainable livelihoods framework provides a common conceptual approach to examining the ways in which agricultural research and technologies fit (or sometimes do not fit) into the livelihood strategies of households or individuals with different types of assets and other resources, strategies that often involve multiple activities undertaken at different times of the year. This paper reports on the conceptual framework, methods, and findings to date of these studies. It provides an overview of the sustainable livelihoods approach, how it can be applied to agricultural research, and describes detailed methods and results from five case studies: (1) modern rice varieties in Bangladesh; (2) polyculture fishponds and vegetable gardens in Bangladesh; (3) soil fertility management practices in Kenya; (4) hybrid maize in Zimbabwe; and (5) creolized maize varieties in Mexico.
Salinization of the Bangladesh Delta worsens economic precarity
Chen, Joyce; Mueller, Valerie; Durand, Fabien; Lisco, Erika; Zhong, Qing; Sherin, V. Raju; Islam, A. K. M. Saiful. 2022
Chen, Joyce; Mueller, Valerie; Durand, Fabien; Lisco, Erika; Zhong, Qing; Sherin, V. Raju; Islam, A. K. M. Saiful. 2022
DOI : 10.1007/s11111-022-00411-2
Underweight, overweight or obesity, diabetes, and hypertension in Bangladesh, 2004 to 2018
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Tauseef, Salauddin; Khuong, Long Quynh; Gupta, Rajat Das; Billah, Masum; Menon, Purnima; Scott, Samuel. 2022
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Tauseef, Salauddin; Khuong, Long Quynh; Gupta, Rajat Das; Billah, Masum; Menon, Purnima; Scott, Samuel. 2022
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0275151
Abstract | View
Bangladesh is experiencing a nutrition transition with an increase in the double burden of malnutrition and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study sought to: 1) examine trends and differences in underweight, overweight/obesity, hypertension and diabetes by gender, area of residence, and wealth in Bangladesh from 2004 to 2018, 2) assess what factors contributed to changes in these outcomes.
Dynamics of agricultural wage and rice price in Bangladesh
Rashid, Shahidur. Washington, DC 2002
Rashid, Shahidur. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
Like many other Asian countries, the causal relationship between agricultural productivity and the incidence of rural poverty has been a widely debated subject in Bangladesh. A number of studies argued that the real agricultural wage rate was declining during the period when the country had experienced overall agricultural growth. This paper contributes to this debate in two ways: i) it re-examines the methodological aspects of past studies and presents alternative estimates; and ii) analyzes dynamics of agricultural wage and rice price using the most recent data. Multivariate co-integration techniques are used to examine the long and short-run relationships among agricultural wage rate, rice price, urban wage rate, and other prices. The results show that agricultural wage and rice price maintained strong co-integrating relationships during the periods 1949/50 -1979/80; and the elasticities of agricultural wage rate with respect to rice price are substantially higher than what past studies had reported. Analyses of post-famine data (1976/77-1998/99) suggest that rice price, which was strongly co-integrated with agricultural wage rate until the early 80s, is no longer a significant determinant of wage formation in Bangladesh.
Bumper crops, producer incentives and persistent poverty
Dorosh, Paul A.; Shahabuddin, Quazi; Aziz, M. Abdul. Washington, DC 2002
Dorosh, Paul A.; Shahabuddin, Quazi; Aziz, M. Abdul. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
Food aid has played a useful role in Government of Bangladesh efforts to increase food security in the last three decades, adding to foodgrain availability, supplying wheat for targeted distribution to poor households, and helping to finance development projects and programs. However, sustained increases in domestic production of both rice and wheat have increased the likelihood of disincentive effects arising from continued large inflows of food aid. The analysis shows that if good rice harvests continue so that real rice prices remain at their levels of 2000, and if international wheat prices return to their average 1995-99 levels, then public wheat distribution may need to be cut to levels below the current amount of food aid received (650 thousand tons in 2000/2001) to avoid reducing domestic prices below import parity. However, resources will continue to be required for programs that increase access to food by the poor, contribute to increased utilization of food and result in improved nutritional outcomes, even if the need for food aid to increase availability of foodgrains diminishes.
Foodgrain supply, distribution, and consumption policies within a dual pricing mechanism
Ahmed, Raisuddin. Washington, DC 1979
Ahmed, Raisuddin. Washington, DC 1979
Marketing fortified rice: Effects of aspirational messaging and association with free distribution
Chowdhury, Reajul; Crost, Benjamin; Hoffmann, Vivian. 2022
Chowdhury, Reajul; Crost, Benjamin; Hoffmann, Vivian. 2022
DOI : 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102346
Abstract | View
Fortification of staple foods is among the most cost-effective public health interventions. In settings where mandatory fortification is not feasible, providing fortified foods through public safety net programs and building private demand can be implemented in parallel to maximize coverage. However, little is known about what marketing messages are most effective at increasing the demand for fortified foods. Further, as governments scale up fortification of foods distributed through safety net programs, understanding the effect of knowledge about this on consumer demand will be important for crafting communication strategies. Drawing on insights from the literature on marketing and consumer behavior, we hypothesize that a message linking fortified rice, an unfamiliar product in this setting, to a known, aspirational product, can increase demand. We test the individual and joint impacts of an aspirational marketing message and information about the public distribution of fortified rice through a framed field experiment eliciting willingness to pay for rice fortified with six micronutrients in Chandpur District, Bangladesh. We find that a message which combines aspirational positioning and information on public distribution increases the proportion of participants willing to pay a premium at least equal to the cost of fortification by 19 percentage points. The results suggest that any negative impact on willingness to pay associated with free distribution is outweighed by the credibility distribution lends to health claims about the product.
Marketing fortified rice: Effects of aspirational messaging and credibility of health claims
Chowdhury, Reajul; Crost, Benjamin; Hoffman, Vivian. 2021
Chowdhury, Reajul; Crost, Benjamin; Hoffman, Vivian. 2021
DOI : 10.26085/C3R597
Abstract | View
Studies assessing the impact of information on uptake of preventive health products among the poor have shown mixed results, and little is known about what type of messages are most effective. Drawing on insights from the literature on marketing and consumer behavior, we argue that messages which position a product as aspirational or establish the credibility of its health benefits can increase consumer demand for the product. We test the individual and joint impacts of such messages through a field experiment eliciting willingness to pay for fortified rice in Chandpur District, Bangladesh. We find that the combination of these approaches increases the proportion of participants willing to pay a premium at least equal to the cost of fortification by 18 percentage points. In sharp contrast to the existing literature on welfare stigma, we also show that awareness of free distribution of fortified rice through government programs does not negatively affect consumer demand, but rather appears to lend credibility to health claims about the product.
Trends and inequities in food, energy, protein, fat, and carbonhydrate intakes in rural Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2022
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Ali, Masum; Ghostlaw, Julie; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2022
DOI : 10.1093/jn/nxac198
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Background: Tracking dietary changes can inform strategies to improve nutrition, yet there is limited evidence on food consumption patterns and how disparities in food and nutrient intakes have changed in Bangladesh. Objectives: We assessed trends and adequacies in energy and macronutrient intakes and evaluated changes in inequities by age group, sex, and expenditure quintile. Methods: We used panel data from the 2011 and 2018 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (n = 20,339 and 19,818 household members ≥ 2 years, respectively). Dietary intakes were collected using 24-hour recall and food-weighing methods. Changes in energy and macronutrient intakes were assessed using generalized linear models and adjusted Wald tests. Inequities in outcomes were examined by age group, sex, and expenditure quintile using the Slope Index of Inequality and Concentration Index.
Developing strategies to commercialise biofortified crops and foods
Nyangaresi, Annette M.; Friesen, Valerie M.; McClafferty, Bonnie; van der Merwe, Charl; Haswell, Daniel; Reyes, Byron; Mudyahoto, Bho; Mbuya, Mduduzi N. N.. Geneva, Switzerland 2022
Nyangaresi, Annette M.; Friesen, Valerie M.; McClafferty, Bonnie; van der Merwe, Charl; Haswell, Daniel; Reyes, Byron; Mudyahoto, Bho; Mbuya, Mduduzi N. N.. Geneva, Switzerland 2022
DOI : 10.36072/wp.28
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Biofortification (or nutrient enrichment) of staple crops has the potential to contribute to reducing micronutrient deficiencies by increasing micronutrient intakes. In 2019, GAIN and HarvestPlus entered a partnership to lead the Commercialisation of Biofortified Crops (CBC) Programme, which aims to catalyse commercial markets for biofortified crops in six countries across Africa and Asia. During the CBC programme inception phase, information on the value chains and their challenges and opportunities for commercialisation were collected for each country-crop combination through literature reviews and third party-led commercialisation assessments. In this paper, we summarise the processes undertaken to identify the potential opportunities and barriers for commercialisation and describe how the findings were used to develop commercialisation strategies for nine country-crop combinations.
Using a programme impact pathway to design, monitor, and evaluate interventions to commercialise biofortified crops and foods
Friesen, Valerie M; Mudyahoto, Bho; Birol, Ekin; Nyangaresi, Annette M; Reyes, Byron; Mbuya, Mduduzi N. N.. Geneva, Switzerland 2022
Friesen, Valerie M; Mudyahoto, Bho; Birol, Ekin; Nyangaresi, Annette M; Reyes, Byron; Mbuya, Mduduzi N. N.. Geneva, Switzerland 2022
DOI : 10.36072/wp.29
Abstract | View
Using a theory of change (TOC; a simplified definition of how and why an intervention is expected to work) or a programme impact pathway (PIP; a more detailed description of the causal pathways through which an intervention is delivered) to guide design, monitoring, and evaluation efforts is increasingly being used across various nutrition interventions, yet there are few documented examples in biofortification programmes. During the inception phase of the Commercialisation of Biofortified Crops (CBC) programme, which aims to scale up production and consumption of biofortified foods in six countries in Africa and Asia, a PIP was developed and used to inform the design of commercialisation strategies and their monitoring and evaluation. The objective of this paper is to describe that process. Using a generic TOC for biofortification as a starting point, we developed detailed PIPs for each of the nine country-crop combinations. Within each PIP, we identified the commercial pathway(s) and selected the one(s) with the most potential for impact. We then identified the binding constraint along each pathway and a set of activities and resources to tackle it. This process formed the basis of the country-crop commercialisation strategies and associated workplans. Additionally, we developed a monitoring reference manual that included a set of standardised indicators mapped to the PIP and detailed indicator reference sheets. These tools were contextualised for each country-crop combination and formed the basis of the programme’s monitoring and evaluation plans. Using a PIP to guide the development of programme strategies and measurement of achievements is good practice to ensure that programmes have high potential for impact and that relevant information needed to understand the evolution of results along the PIP is collected throughout programme implementation.
Nature and impact of the Green Revolution in Bangladesh
Hossain, Mahabub. Washington, DC 1988
Hossain, Mahabub. Washington, DC 1988
Micro-lending for small farmers in Bangladesh
Rashid, Shahidur; Sharma, Manohar; Zeller, Manfred. Washington, DC 2002
Rashid, Shahidur; Sharma, Manohar; Zeller, Manfred. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
It has been long hypothesized that lack of access to credit is the main reason why, despite higher profitability of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs), farmers in developing countries continue to allocate a portion of their land to traditional crop varieties. The empirical testing of this hypothesis has generated a large body of literature with differing conclusions. This paper re-examines the issue in the context of a specially designed group-based lending program for small farmers in Bangladesh, who neither have access to formal sources of credit nor do they qualify to become members of other micro-credit organizations. Two measures of access to credit, credit limit and amount borrowed at a given point in time, are used to analyze the determinants of farm households' land allocation decision. Under a variety of model specifications, formulated within Heckman's two-step method, the results show that credit limits from the lending programs and informal sources are significant determinants of small farmers' decision to cultivate HYV. -- Authors' abstract.It has been long hypothesized that lack of access to credit is the main reason why, despite higher profitability of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs), farmers in developing countries continue to allocate a portion of their land to traditional crop varieties. The empirical testing of this hypothesis has generated a large body of literature with differing conclusions. This paper re-examines the issue in the context of a specially designed group-based lending program for small farmers in Bangladesh, who neither have access to formal sources of credit nor do they qualify to become members of other micro-credit organizations. Two measures of access to credit, credit limit and amount borrowed at a given point in time, are used to analyze the determinants of farm households' land allocation decision. Under a variety of model specifications, formulated within Heckman's two-step method, the results show that credit limits from the lending programs and informal sources are significant determinants of small farmers' decision to cultivate HYV. -- Authors' abstract.
Dietary diversity as a food security indicator
Hoddinott, John F.; Yohannes, Yisehac. Washington, DC 2002
Hoddinott, John F.; Yohannes, Yisehac. Washington, DC 2002
Abstract | View
Household food security is an important measure of well-being. Although it may not encapsulate all dimensions of poverty, the inability of households to obtain access to enough food for an active, healthy life is surely an important component of their poverty. Accordingly, devising an appropriate measure of food security outcomes is useful in order to identify the food insecure, assess the severity of their food shortfall, characterize the nature of their insecurity (for example, seasonal versus chronic), predict who is most at risk of future hunger, monitor changes in circumstances, and assess the impact of interventions. However, obtaining detailed data on food security status—such as 24- hour recall data on caloric intakes—can be time consuming and expensive and require a high level of technical skill both in data collection and analysis. This paper examines whether an alternative indicator, dietary diversity, defined as the number of unique foods consumed over a given period of time, provides information on household food security. It draws on data from 10 countries (India, the Philippines, Mozambique, Mexico, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mali, Malawi, Ghana, and Kenya) that encompass both poor and middle-income countries, rural and urban sectors, data collected in different seasons, and data on calories acquisition obtained using two different methods. ....[D]ietary diversity would appear to show promise as a means of measuring food security and monitoring changes and impact, particularly when resources available for such measurement are scarce.
A gendered 1993-94 Social Accounting Matrix for Bangladesh
Fontana, Marzia; Wobst, Peter. Washington, DC 2001
Fontana, Marzia; Wobst, Peter. Washington, DC 2001
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This working paper documents the construction of a 1993-94 Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for Bangladesh. The SAM distinguishes 10 agricultural sectors —including two different kinds of rice technology — and 19 manufacturing sectors, out of 43 sectors in total. It also differentiates between twelve socio-economic groups, allowing detailed analysis of household welfare and poverty. The SAM has ten factors of production: one type of capital, one type of land and eight different types of labor which are disaggregated by both level of education and gender. The innovative feature of the SAM is that it separates out female and male labor value-added for each educational level and in eachsector of the economy, providing a base for gender-sensitive analyses of policy changes. The SAM is estimated with a cross-entropy approach, which makes efficient use of all available data in a framework that incorporates prior information and constraints.
South Asia
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2005
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, DC 2005
Abstract | View
IFPRI has had a long presence in South Asia, identifying ways to eliminate the deep-seated poverty in the region, exploring the impact of the Green Revolution, and undertaking major work on subsidies, trade, markets, nutrition, adoption of agricultural technology, and other issues critical for the region. Over the last few years, IFPRI has intensified its activities in South Asia, given the persistence of poverty in the region and the new opportunities and challenges it faces. This renewed commitment is exemplified by IFPRI’s South Asia Initiative (an effort to bring together IFPRI staff and researchers and policymakers from the region in a more focused way) and by its South Asia office, opened in New Delhi this past March.
Improving diet quality and micronutrient nutrition
Iannotti, Lora L.; Cunningham, Kenda; Ruel, Marie T.. Washington, DC 2009
Iannotti, Lora L.; Cunningham, Kenda; Ruel, Marie T.. Washington, DC 2009
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A critical yet often overlooked component of food security is diet quality. Even households who have access to sufficient amounts of food and calories may still lack essential micronutrients, increasing their risk for both short- and long-term health and development consequences. Interventions that address poor diet quality and related deficiencies of vitamin A, zinc, iron, among others, are important for achieving full food security in vulnerable populations. The homestead food production (HFP) program, introduced in Bangladesh by Helen Keller International nearly two decades ago, promotes an integrated package of home gardening, small livestock production and nutrition education with the aim of increasing household production, availability, and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods and improving the health and nutritional status of women and children. Implemented by NGO partners and the Government of Bangladesh, HFP has expanded its reach into over one half of the country’s subdistricts and is now operating in several countries of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence shows that HFP in Bangladesh has improved food security for nearly 5 million vulnerable people in diverse agroecological zones. This has been achieved through: increased production and consumption of micronutrient-rich foods; increased income from gardens and expenditures on micronutrient-rich foods; women’s empowerment; enhanced partner capacity; and community development.
Storytelling for persuasion: Insights from community health workers on how they engage family members to improve adoption of recommended maternal nutrition and breastfeeding behaviours in rural Bangladesh
Grandner, Gargi Wable; Rasmussen, Kathleen M.; Dickin, Katerine L.; Menon, Purnima; Yeh, Tiffany; Hoddinott, John F.. 2022
Grandner, Gargi Wable; Rasmussen, Kathleen M.; Dickin, Katerine L.; Menon, Purnima; Yeh, Tiffany; Hoddinott, John F.. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13408
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Community health workers (CHWs) increasingly provide interpersonal counselling to childbearing women and their families to improve adoption of recommended maternal and child nutrition behaviours. Little is known about CHWs' first-hand experiences garnering family support for improving maternal nutrition and breastfeeding practices in low-resource settings. Using focused ethnography, we drew insights from the strategies that CHWs used to persuade influential family members to support recommendations on maternal diet, rest and breastfeeding in a behaviour change communication trial in rural Bangladesh. We interviewed 35 CHWs providing at-home interpersonal counselling to pregnant women and their families in seven ‘Alive & Thrive’ intervention sites. In-depth probing focused on how CHWs addressed lack of family support. Thematic coding based on Fisher's narrative paradigm revealed strategic use of three rhetorical principles by CHWs: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion) and logos (logic). CHWs reported selectively targeting pregnant women, husbands and mothers-in-law based on their influence on behavioural adoption. Key motivators to support recommended behaviours were improved foetal growth and child intelligence. Improved maternal health was the least motivating outcome, even among mothers. Logically coherent messaging resonated well with husbands, while empathetic counselling was additionally required for mothers. Mothers-in-law were most intransigent, but were persuaded via emotional appeals. Persuasion on maternal rest was most effort-intensive, resulting in contextually appealing but scientifically inaccurate messaging. Our study demonstrates that CHWs can offer important insights on context-relevant, feasible strategies to improve family support and uptake of nutrition recommendations. It also identifies the need for focused CHW training and monitoring to address scientifically flawed counselling narratives.
Vivres pour l'education: nourrir l'esprit pour réduire la pauvreté
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, D.C. 2002
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Washington, D.C. 2002
Abstract | View
Dans les pays en développement, 200 millions d'enfants âgés de moins de cinq ans souffrent de malnutrition. La plupart de ces enfants vivent dans une misère noire, n'ont jamais angé à leur faim depuis leur naissance, et ne termineront jamais leur scolarité primaire. Ce papier explique les programmes, Vivres contre scolarisation et Alimentation scolaire et l'objectif de chaque programme. Dans les programmes "Vivres contre scolarisation", les familles reçoivent de la nourriture lorsqu'elles scolarisent leurs enfants et dnas les programmes "alimentation scolaire", les enfants sont nourris à l'école. Ensemble, les programmes d'alimentation scolaire et de vivres contre scolarisation constituent des outils puissants pour soulager la faim au quotidien, diminuer le manque de nourriture dans les foyers, permettre aux enfants d'apprendre et offrir aux familles la possibilité d'envoyer leurs enfants à l'école et de les y maintenir. La combinaison des deux programmes permettrait aux gouvernements de soulager la faim, nourrir le développement et réduire la pauvreté à long terme. Les enfants ont besoin de nourriture pour apprendre; les familles ont besoin de nourriture pour tirer le meilleur parti de l'éducation.
Data use aids adaptation and continuation of maternal, infant and young child nutrition (MIYCN) services in urban health facilities in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic
Escobar-DeMarco, Jessica; Ireen, Santhia; Kabir, Rowshan; Kundu, Gourob; Asaduzzaman, H. M.; Jahan, Rezwana; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ash, Deborah. 2022
Escobar-DeMarco, Jessica; Ireen, Santhia; Kabir, Rowshan; Kundu, Gourob; Asaduzzaman, H. M.; Jahan, Rezwana; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ash, Deborah. 2022
DOI : 10.1093/cdn/nzac048.011
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The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted health services worldwide. Alive and Thrive (A&T) is testing MIYCN integration into non-governmental organizations’ (NGOs) health services in eight facilities in Dhaka. We aimed to develop a data-driven urban MIYCN intervention pathway adapted to continue delivering nutrition services during COVID-19.
Bangladesh: Impacts of the Ukraine and global crises on poverty and food security
Diao, Xinshen; Dorosh, Paul A.; Smart, Jenny; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2022
Diao, Xinshen; Dorosh, Paul A.; Smart, Jenny; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.135947
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Global food, fuel, and fertilizer prices have risen rapidly in recent months, driven in large part by the fallout from the ongoing war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia. Other factors, such as export bans, have also contributed to rising prices. Palm oil and wheat prices increased by 56 and 100 percent in real terms, respectively, between June 2021 and April 2022, with most of the in-crease occurring since February (Figure 1). Wide variation exists across products, with real maize prices increasing by only 11 percent and rice prices declining by 13 percent. The price of crude oil and natural gas has also risen substantially, while the weighted average price of fertilizer has dou-bled. With these changes in global prices, many developing countries and their development part-ners are concerned about the implications for economic stability, food security, and poverty.
Process of developing models of maternal nutrition interventions integrated into antenatal care services in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and India
Sanghvi, Tina; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ghosh, Sebanti; Zafimanjaka, Maurice; Kim, Sunny S.. 2022
Sanghvi, Tina; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Ghosh, Sebanti; Zafimanjaka, Maurice; Kim, Sunny S.. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13379
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Integrating nutrition interventions into antenatal care (ANC) requires adapting global recommendations to fit existing health systems and local contexts, but the evidence is limited on the process of tailoring nutrition interventions for health programmes. We developed and integrated maternal nutrition interventions into ANC programmes in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and India by conducting studies and assessments, developing new tools and processes and field testing integrated programme models. This paper elucidates how we used information and data to contextualize a package of globally recommended maternal nutrition interventions (micronutrient supplementation, weight gain monitoring, dietary counselling and counselling on breastfeeding) and describes four country-specific health service delivery models. We developed a Theory of Change to illustrate common barriers and strategies for strengthening nutrition interventions during ANC. We used multiple information sources including situational assessments, formative research, piloting and pretesting results, supply assessments, stakeholder meetings, household and service provider surveys and monitoring data to design models of maternal nutrition interventions. We developed detailed protocols for implementing maternal nutrition interventions; reinforced staff capacity, nutrition counselling, monitoring systems and community engagement processes; and addressed micronutrient supplement supply bottlenecks. Community-level activities were essential for complementing facility-based services. Routine monitoring data, rapid assessments and information from intensified supervision were important during the early stages of implementation to improve the feasibility and scalability of models. The lessons from addressing maternal nutrition in ANC may serve as a guide for tackling missed opportunities for nutrition within health services in other contexts.
Can transfers and complementary nutrition programming reduce intimate partner violence four years post-program? Experimental evidence from Bangladesh
Roy, Shalini; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Koch, Bastien; Ahmed, Akhter. Madison, WI Article in press
Roy, Shalini; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Koch, Bastien; Ahmed, Akhter. Madison, WI Article in press
DOI : 10.3368/jhr.0720-11014R2
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Little is known about whether reductions in intimate partner violence (IPV) from transfer programs persist. Using a randomized controlled trial, we find that women in rural Bangladesh who received cash transfers with complementary nutrition programming (including group-based training, home visits, and community meetings) experienced sustained reductions in IPV four years after the program ended. Neither cash transfers alone, nor food transfers with or without complementary nutrition programming, showed sustained impacts on IPV. Evidence suggests that cash with complementary nutrition programming sustained IPV reductions through persistent increases in women’s bargaining power, costs to men of perpetrating violence, and men’s emotional well-being.
Improving trust and reciprocity in agricultural input markets: A lab-in-the-field experiment in Bangladesh
de Brauw, Alan; Kramer, Berber. Washington, DC 2022
de Brauw, Alan; Kramer, Berber. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.135928
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Adoption of high-quality yet more expensive agricultural inputs remains low, in part because most inputs are experience goods: before purchase, buyers observe only price—not quality—providing sellers with opportunities to cheat on quality. Our lab-in-the-field experiment in Bangladesh replicates markets for such inputs, with input retailers (sellers) choosing price and quality, and farmers (buyers) choosing from which seller to purchase inputs. We analyze market behavior, including buyers’ trust and sellers’ reciprocity, and study the effects of buyer-driven accreditation and loyalty rewards for accredited sellers of high-quality products. Trust and reciprocity remain low: Sellers provide mostly low-quality products, and buyers reveal low demand for more expensive, high-quality inputs. Accrediting sellers when their buyers are satisfied leads to higher input quality and more repeat purchases, but only when combined with loyalty rewards, because buyers’ quality signals are weak and do not incentivize sellers to change their behavior. We conclude that small incentives are effective at improving seller behavior, but this behavior change does not necessarily enhance quality signals and farmer welfare.
The effect of electronic job aid assisted one-to-one counselling to support exclusive breastfeeding among 0–5-month-old infants in rural Bangladesh
Masum Billah, Sk; Ferdous, Tarana E.; Siddique, Abu Bakkar; Raynes-Greenow, Camille; Kelly, Patrick; Gillespie, Stuart; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima. 2022
Masum Billah, Sk; Ferdous, Tarana E.; Siddique, Abu Bakkar; Raynes-Greenow, Camille; Kelly, Patrick; Gillespie, Stuart; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13377
Abstract | View
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first 6 months has established benefits, yet had slow improvements globally. Little is known about electronic job aid-assisted counselling to support EBF. As a secondary outcome of a cluster randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh, we assessed the effect of electronic job aid-supported nutrition counselling and practical demonstration on EBF. We randomized pregnant women to one of five study arms in the trial and followed mother–child dyads until 2 years of age. Community health workers (CHWs) provided breastfeeding counselling with or without prenatal and complementary nutrient supplements in all four intervention arms. The comparison arm continued with the usual practice where mothers could receive nutrition counselling at routine antenatal and postnatal care, and during careseeking for childhood illnesses. We assessed breastfeeding indicators at birth and monthly until the child was 6 months old, in both intervention and comparison arms. To evaluate the effect of nutrition counselling on breastfeeding, we combined all four intervention arms and compared them with the comparison arm. Intervention newborns had half the risk (relative risk [RR]: 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39, 0.76) of receiving prelacteal feeds than those in the comparison arm. EBF declined steeply in the comparison arm after 3 months of age. EBF was 16% higher in the intervention than the comparison arm at 4 months (RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.23) and 22% higher at 5 months of age (RR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.33). Maternal background and household characteristics did not modify the intervention effect, and we observed no difference in EBF among caesarean versus vaginal births. Breastfeeding counselling and practical demonstration using an electronic job aid by CHWs are promising interventions to improve EBF and are scalable into existing community-based programmes.
Spatial differences in diet quality and economic vulnerability to food insecurity in Bangladesh: Results from the 2016 household income and expenditure survey
Mitu, Mst. Maxim Parvin; Islam, Khaleda; Sarwar, Sneha; Ali, Masum; Amin, Md. Ruhul. 2022
Mitu, Mst. Maxim Parvin; Islam, Khaleda; Sarwar, Sneha; Ali, Masum; Amin, Md. Ruhul. 2022
DOI : 10.3390/su14095643
Abstract | View
The study explored the spatial differences in diet quality and economic vulnerability to food insecurity with the association of sociodemographic characteristics at the household level in Bangladesh. This study was a secondary data analysis of Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) data of 2016. Both statistical and spatial analyses were applied while assessing diet qualities in terms of the household dietary diversity score (HDDS), percentage of food energy from staples (PFES), and percentage of expenditure on food (PEF) as an indicator of the economic vulnerability to food insecurity (EVFI). The study’s findings revealed that the quality of people’s diets worsened as they moved from urban to rural area, and EVFI increased as they moved from the center to the periphery of the country. Nationally, the average HDDS was about 6.3, and the average PFES per household per day was about 70.4%. The spatial distribution of HDDS and PFES showed that rural regions in terms of settlements and the north, northwest and southeast regions had mostly low diet diversity. Besides, the average PEF per household per day was about 54%, with the highest in Mymensingh (57.4%) and the lowest in Dhaka division (50.2%). The average PEF in the households illustrated was highest in rural (55.2%) and lowest in the city (45.7%). Overall, based on the PEF at the sub-district level, the medium level of vulnerability comprised the highest share (69%) in Bangladesh. Age, gender, literacy, educational qualification and religion of the household’s head along with the number of earners, monthly income, area of settlements and divisions were significantly correlated with HDDS, PFES and EVFI. The study findings suggest that targeted interventions, including access to education, women empowerment and employment generation programs should be implemented in peripheral areas (north, northwest and southeast) to increase diet quality and minimize economic vulnerability to achieve sustainable food and nutrition security in Bangladesh.
Using scenario-based assessments to examine the feasibility of integrating preventive nutrition services through the primary health care system in Bangladesh
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Billah, Sk. Masum; Avula, Rasmi; Ferdous, Tarana; Sarker, Bidhan K.; Rahman, Musfikur; Ireen, Santhia; Mahmud, Zeba; Menon, Purnima; Ash, Deborah. 2022
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Billah, Sk. Masum; Avula, Rasmi; Ferdous, Tarana; Sarker, Bidhan K.; Rahman, Musfikur; Ireen, Santhia; Mahmud, Zeba; Menon, Purnima; Ash, Deborah. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13366
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The National Nutrition Services of Bangladesh aims to deliver nutrition services through the primary health care system. Little is known about the feasibility of reshaping service delivery to close gaps in nutrition intervention coverage and utilization. We used a scenario-based feasibility testing approach to assess potential implementation improvements to strengthen service delivery. We conducted in-depth interviews with 31 service providers and 12 policymakers, and 5 focus group discussions with potential beneficiaries. We asked about the feasibility of four hypothetical scenarios for preventive and promotive nutrition service delivery: community-based events (CBE) for pregnant women, well-child services integrated into immunization contacts; CBE for well-children, and well-child visits at facilities. Opinions on service delivery platforms were mixed; some recommended new platforms, but others suggested strengthening existing delivery points. CBE for pregnant women was perceived as feasible, but workforce shortages emerged as a key barrier. Challenges such as equipment portability, upset children and a fast-moving service environment suggested low feasibility of integrating nutrition into outreach immunization contacts. In contrast, CBE and facility-based well-child visits emerged as feasible options, conditional on having the necessary workforce, structural readiness and budget support. On the demand side, enabling factors include using interpersonal communication and involving community leaders to increase awareness, organizing events at a convenient time and place for both providers and beneficiaries, and incentives for beneficiaries to encourage participation. In conclusion, integrating preventive and promotive nutrition services require addressing current challenges in the health system, including human resource and logistic gaps, and investing in creating demand for preventive services.
Conceptual framework for linkages and partnerships in BIMSTEC
Roy, Devesh; Pradhan, Mamata; Boss, Ruchira; Rashid, Shahidur. Washington, DC 2022
Roy, Devesh; Pradhan, Mamata; Boss, Ruchira; Rashid, Shahidur. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.135882
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The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization which came into being in 1997. It comprises seven member states: five from South Asia, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, Myanmar and Thailand. BIMSTEC region is home to around 1.5 billion people, that is, nearly 22 percent of the global population with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of US$2.7 trillion.
Increasing production diversity and diet quality through agriculture, gender, and nutrition linkages: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Ghostlaw, Julie; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma. Washington, DC 2022
Ahmed, Akhter; Coleman, Fiona; Ghostlaw, Julie; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima; Parvin, Aklima; Pereira, Audrey; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Roy, Shalini; Younus, Masuma. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.135845
Abstract | View
A growing body of evidence indicates that agricultural development programs can potentially improve production diversity and diet quality of poor rural households; however, less is known about which aspects of program design are effective in diverse contexts and feasible to implement at scale. We address this issue through an evaluation of the Agriculture, Gender, and Nutrition Linkages (ANGeL) project. ANGeL is a randomized controlled trial testing what combination of trainings focused on agricultural production, nutrition behavior change communication, and gender sensitization were most effective in improving production diversity and diet quality among rural farm households in Bangladesh. We find that trainings focused on agriculture improved production diversity in terms of greater production of fruits and vegetables grown on the homestead, eggs, dairy, and fish; adding trainings on nutrition and gender did not significantly change these impacts. Trainings focused on both agriculture and nutrition showed the largest impacts on diet quality, with evidence indicating that households in this arm also significantly increased consumption out of homestead production for fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy, and fish. Findings indicate that agricultural training that promotes production of diverse, high-value, nutrient-rich foods can increase production diversity, and this can improve diet quality, but diet quality impacts are larger when agricultural training is combined with nutrition training. Relative to treatments combining agriculture and nutrition training, we find no significant impact of adding the gender sensitization on our measures of production diversity or diet quality.
A major food transfer program in Bangladesh fell short during the COVID-19 pandemic
Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Rashid, Shahidur; Dearlove, Honor; Chowdhury, Shyamal. Washington, DC 2022
Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Rashid, Shahidur; Dearlove, Honor; Chowdhury, Shyamal. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/9780896294226_22
Abstract | View
Public food transfer programs serve as an important safety net for those facing hunger and food insecurity in both low- and high-income countries around the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, these programs have become even more crucial, as food insecurity and poverty rates have soared. But lockdowns and other public health restrictions can also disrupt food distribution operations and thus limit their effectiveness.
Selected country experiences during the pandemic: Policy responses and CGIAR support
Andam, Kwaw S.; Ezekannagha, Oluchi. Washington, DC 2022
Andam, Kwaw S.; Ezekannagha, Oluchi. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/9780896294226_28
Abstract | View
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, CGIAR pivoted its research planning to better support countries as they responded to the crisis. Despite the unprecedented, highly disruptive nature of the pandemic, CGIAR’s collaborative country work has enhanced engagement across the agrifood sector, leveraged existing capacities, and improved awareness of vulnerabilities within value chains. The insights gained from this experience may ultimately prove useful in addressing other longstanding challenges as well. In this chapter, we recount selected country experiences during the pandemic and the response of the international agricultural research system to support these countries. In the section on country experiences, we draw from IFPRI’s COVID-19 Policy Response Portal (CPR) to focus on lockdown policies in Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria. We describe the steps taken by governments in these countries to address challenges in the agrifood sector and provide social protection to the vulnerable.
Using outcome trajectory evaluation to assess HarvestPlus’ contribution to the development of national biofortification breeding programs
Douthwaite, Boru; Johnson, Nancy L.; Wyatt, Amanda. Washington, DC 2022
Douthwaite, Boru; Johnson, Nancy L.; Wyatt, Amanda. Washington, DC 2022
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134976
Abstract | View
While the key role that policy plays in sustainable development has long been recognized, rigorously documenting the influence of research on policy outcomes faces conceptual, empirical and even political challenges. Addressing these challenges is increasingly urgent since improving policies—broadly defined—is at the heart of the structural transformation agenda. This paper describes the use of a new evaluation method—outcomes trajectory evaluation (OTE), based on both evaluation and policy process theory—to explore the influence of HarvestPlus, a large and complex research for development program focused on improving nutrition, on a specific policy outcome, namely the establishment of crop biofortification breeding programs in national agricultural research institutes in Bangladesh, India and Rwanda. The findings support claims of significant HarvestPlus contributions to the establishment of the programs while also raising issues that need to be monitored moving forward to ensure sustainability. The paper also discusses the pros and cons of the OTE approach in terms of both methodological rigor and program learning. In particular, the fact that HarvestPlus is a long-running program allows us to reflect on how a “backward looking” approach such as OTE builds on and complements the more “forward looking,” theory of change-based approaches that informed HarvestPlus programming and evaluation during its earlier, highly-successful phases. Such a long-run perspective is rare in development evaluation and it offers important lessons for how to think about and plan for evaluation over the course of a complex agriculture research for development program.
Dietary change and food demand in urbanizing Bangladesh
Ecker, Olivier; Comstock, Andrew R.. Washington, DC 2021
Ecker, Olivier; Comstock, Andrew R.. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134973
Abstract | View
Poor-quality diets are one of the leading causes of malnutrition and common non-communicable disease. In this study, we use nationally representative household survey data and food demand system estimations to analyze dietary change and changing consumer preferences for different foods in the context of urbanization in low- and middle-income countries. We estimate and compare income and price elasticities of total food demand and the demand for 15 food groups in rural, urban, and city areas of Bangladesh for 2010 and 2016. We then use Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition regressions to explore how much of the observed food consumption changes can be explained by changes in revealed consumer preferences vis-à-vis changes in household income and food prices. The results show that Bangladeshi diets shifted from coarse to refined rice, and consumer preferences for vegetables and pulses were relatively low, contributing to worsening dietary quality. On the other hand, the consumption of nutritious, animal-source foods including fish, poultry, and eggs increased due to high consumer preferences and declining food prices-partly thanks to governmental production support. Regarding the dietary implications of rapid urbanization, the analysis suggests that rural consumers’ diets will largely follow the trajectory of urban consumers in Bangladesh.
Factors influencing quality nutrition service provision at antenatal care contacts: Findings from a public health facility-based observational study in 21 districts of Bangladesh
Billah, Masum; Ali, Nazia Binte; Khan, Abdullah Nurus Salam; Raynes-Greenow, Camille; Menon, Purnima; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2022
Billah, Masum; Ali, Nazia Binte; Khan, Abdullah Nurus Salam; Raynes-Greenow, Camille; Menon, Purnima; Nguyen, Phuong Hong. 2022
DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0262867
Abstract | View
Malnutrition during pregnancy is associated with increased maternal morbidity and mortality and has a long-term negative impact on child growth and development. Antenatal care (ANC) is the formal point of contact for pregnant women to receive preventive health and nutrition services. We assessed the quality of nutrition service delivery during ANC and examined its influencing factors related to the health facility, health care provider (HCP) and client characteristics. We conducted a cross-sectional assessment in 179 facilities, including 1,242 ANC observations and exit interviews of pregnant women from 21 districts in Bangladesh. We considered four essential nutrition services at each ANC contact including maternal weight measurement, anaemia assessment, nutrition counselling and iron-folic acid (IFA) supplement provision. We defined a composite ‘quality nutrition service’ outcome by counting the number of services (out of four) provided at each ANC from observation data. We explored both the supply-side and the client-level factors of quality nutrition service using multilevel Poisson regression. Overall, only 15% of clients received all four nutrition services. Performance of weight measurement (79%) was higher than IFA provision (56%), anaemia assessment (52%) and nutrition counselling (52%). The multivariable analysis showed that quality nutrition service delivery is positively associated with good logistical readiness of the facilities (aIRR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.08–1.39), consultation by paramedics (aIRR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.06–1.42) and community health care providers (aIRR 1.32, 95% CI: 1.12–1.57), HCPs’ knowledge on maternal nutrition (aIRR 1.04; 95% CI: 1.01–1.08), better HCP-client communication (aIRR 1.14; 95% CI: 1.04–1.26) and use visual aids or ANC card (aIRR 1.18; 95% CI: 1.11–1.27). We found limited associations between HCP training and external supervision with the quality of nutrition services. In conclusion, the quality of nutrition service provision during ANC is suboptimal. Public health nutrition programmers should ensure the facilities’ logistical readiness, and revisit and reinforce the content and modality of training and supportive supervision of the HCPs. They should also emphasize positive HCP-client communication and the use of job aids to improve the quality of nutrition service provision during ANC.
Unequal coverage of nutrition and health interventions for women and children in seven countries
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Singh, Nishmeet; Scott, Samuel; Neupane, Sumanta; Jangid, Manita; Walia, Monika; Menon, Purnima. 2022
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Singh, Nishmeet; Scott, Samuel; Neupane, Sumanta; Jangid, Manita; Walia, Monika; Menon, Purnima. 2022
DOI : 10.2471/2FBLT.21.286650
Abstract | View
Objective: To examine inequalities and opportunity gaps in co-coverage of health and nutrition interventions in seven countries.
Methods: We used data from the most recent (2015–2018) demographic and health surveys of mothers with children younger than 5 years in Afghanistan (n = 19 632), Bangladesh (n = 5051), India (n = 184 641), Maldives (n = 2368), Nepal (n = 3998), Pakistan (n = 8285) and Sri Lanka (n = 7138). We estimated co-coverage for a set of eight health and eight nutrition interventions and assessed within-country inequalities in co-coverage by wealth and geography. We examined opportunity gaps by comparing coverage of nutrition interventions with coverage of their corresponding health delivery platforms.
Findings: Only 15% of 231 113 mother–child pairs received all eight health interventions (weighted percentage). The percentage of mother–child pairs who received no nutrition interventions was highest in Pakistan (25%). Wealth gaps (richest versus poorest) for co-coverage of health interventions were largest for Pakistan (slope index of inequality: 62 percentage points) and Afghanistan (38 percentage points). Wealth gaps for co-coverage of nutrition interventions were highest in India (32 percentage points) and Bangladesh (20 percentage points). Coverage of nutrition interventions was lower than for associated health interventions, with opportunity gaps ranging from 4 to 54 percentage points.
Conclusion: Co-coverage of health and nutrition interventions is far from optimal and disproportionately affects poor households in south Asia. Policy and programming efforts should pay attention to closing coverage, equity and opportunity gaps, and improving nutrition delivery through health-care and other delivery platforms.
Methods: We used data from the most recent (2015–2018) demographic and health surveys of mothers with children younger than 5 years in Afghanistan (n = 19 632), Bangladesh (n = 5051), India (n = 184 641), Maldives (n = 2368), Nepal (n = 3998), Pakistan (n = 8285) and Sri Lanka (n = 7138). We estimated co-coverage for a set of eight health and eight nutrition interventions and assessed within-country inequalities in co-coverage by wealth and geography. We examined opportunity gaps by comparing coverage of nutrition interventions with coverage of their corresponding health delivery platforms.
Findings: Only 15% of 231 113 mother–child pairs received all eight health interventions (weighted percentage). The percentage of mother–child pairs who received no nutrition interventions was highest in Pakistan (25%). Wealth gaps (richest versus poorest) for co-coverage of health interventions were largest for Pakistan (slope index of inequality: 62 percentage points) and Afghanistan (38 percentage points). Wealth gaps for co-coverage of nutrition interventions were highest in India (32 percentage points) and Bangladesh (20 percentage points). Coverage of nutrition interventions was lower than for associated health interventions, with opportunity gaps ranging from 4 to 54 percentage points.
Conclusion: Co-coverage of health and nutrition interventions is far from optimal and disproportionately affects poor households in south Asia. Policy and programming efforts should pay attention to closing coverage, equity and opportunity gaps, and improving nutrition delivery through health-care and other delivery platforms.
The impact of climate change on children's nutritional status in coastal Bangladesh
Hanifi, S. M. Manzoor Ahmed; Menon, Nidhiya; Quisumbing, Agnes R.. 2022
Hanifi, S. M. Manzoor Ahmed; Menon, Nidhiya; Quisumbing, Agnes R.. 2022
DOI : 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114704
Exploring the knowledge, attitudes, practices and lived experiences of frontline health workers in the times of COVID-19: A qualitative study from Bangladesh
Tune, Samiun Nazrin Bente Kamal; Islam, Bushra Zarin; Islam, Mir Raihanul; Tasnim, Zarin; Ahmed, Syed Masud. 2022
Tune, Samiun Nazrin Bente Kamal; Islam, Bushra Zarin; Islam, Mir Raihanul; Tasnim, Zarin; Ahmed, Syed Masud. 2022
DOI : 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051893
Abstract | View
Objective: This study explored Frontline Health Workers’ (FLWs) knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on COVID-19 and their lived experiences, in both their personal and work lives, at the early stage of the pandemic in Bangladesh. Design, setting and participants: This was a qualitative study conducted through telephone interviews in May 2020. A total of 41 FLWs including physicians, nurses, paramedics, community healthcare workers and hospital support staff from 34 public and private facilities of both urban and rural parts of Bangladesh participated in the interview. A purposive sampling technique supplemented by a snowball sampling method was followed to select the participants. The in-depth interviews followed a semi-structured interview guide, and we applied the thematic analysis method for the qualitative data analysis. Findings: Except physicians, the FLWs did not receive any institutional training on COVID-19, including its prevention and management, in most instances. Also, they had no training in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Their common source of knowledge was the different websites or social media platforms. The FLWs were at risk while delivering services because patients were found to hide histories and not maintaining safety rules, including physical distancing. Moreover, inadequate supply of PPE, fear of getting infected, risk to family members and ostracisation by the neighbours were mentioned to be quite common by them. This situation eventually led to the development of mental stress and anxiety; however, they tried to cope up with this dire situation and attend to the call of humanity. Conclusion: The uncertain work environment during the COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously affected FLWs’ physical and emotional health in Bangladesh. However, they showed professional devotion in overcoming such obstacles and continued to deliver essential services. This could be further facilitated by a quick and targeted training package on COVID-19, and the provision of supplies for delivering services with appropriate safety precautions.
Post-program impacts of transfer programs on child development: Experimental evidence from Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Hamadani, Jena Derakhshani; Hassan, Md. Zahidul; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Koch, Bastien; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Hamadani, Jena Derakhshani; Hassan, Md. Zahidul; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Koch, Bastien; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134946
Abstract | View
Evidence shows transfer programs can improve early childhood development (ECD). However, knowledge gaps remain on how short-term impacts on ECD evolve as children grow older, how program design features and context affect child development impacts over time, and through what pathways such impacts occur. We study the Transfer Modality Research Initiative (TMRI), a 2-year randomized controlled trial in two regions of Bangladesh that provided cash or food transfers, with or without complementary nutrition programming, to mothers of children aged 0-2 years at baseline. Drawing on data collected at 6 months post-program (when children were about 2-4 years old) and at 4 years post-program (when children were about 6-8 years old), we assess post-program impacts of TMRI on children’s home environment and development. We find strong post-program impacts on the home environment from cash transfers in the Northern region, particularly when combined with complementary programming, however limited post-program effects on child development outcomes. Improvements found in child development tend to be concentrated in boys. We find few post-program improvements in home environment or child development from food transfers in the Southern region, with or without complementary programming.
Household shocks and consumption smoothing: Evidence from Northern Bangladesh
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Rabbani, Atonu. Washington, DC 2021
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Rabbani, Atonu. Washington, DC 2021
Abstract | View
Poor households in rural Bangladesh often face concurring idiosyncratic and aggregate shocks, which have adverse impacts on their income and consumption. In this study, we investigate the transmission channels, coping responses, and economic consequences of different shocks including idiosyncratic adverse health events and aggregate agricultural productivity shocks. We use a balance panel data of 5,655 rural households – interviewed every year between 2010 and 2013 – in northern Bangladesh. We estimate the effects of adverse health shocks on the consumption levels of the poor households in a multi-shock framework. We take advantage of the panel data and use fixed effect models to control for unobserved household-level confounders and potential endogeneity. We further examine effects of shocks to agricultural wages on consumption using rainfall as an instrument. We further carry out a number of robustness checks to understand how sensitive our models are to different alternate specifications. Results indicate that households smooth their consumption after experiencing adverse health shocks, with and without the parallel incidence of other types of shocks. Consumption smoothing occurs despite households experiencing a significant decrease of wage income, which is possibly driven by an increase in informal loans from village money lenders and households’ social networks. To evaluate the effect of a different type of income shock on consumption, we use rainfall as an exogenous instrument for agricultural income. Results indicate that while higher rainfall leads to a significant increase in agricultural income, it does not translate to higher food expenditure for households. Together, these findings offer suggestive evidence that, in this particular setting, households appear to smooth food consumption in the face of income shocks. Poor households rely on formal and informal, potentially costly channels and exploit existing social networks to insure themselves against adverse shocks. The findings highlight the importance of developing a better framework and a more effective implementation of equitable social safety net policies.
Did prior receipt of nutrition-sensitive social protection build resilience to COVID-19 in rural Bangladesh?
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Hoddinott, John F.; Quabili, Wahid; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Hoddinott, John F.; Quabili, Wahid; Roy, Shalini. Washington, DC 2021
Abstract | View
Summary
• The Transfer Modality Research Initiative (TMRI) was a pilot transfer program implemented in rural Bangladesh from 2012-2014, following a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. TMRI provided either cash transfers or food transfers, with or without nutrition behavior change communication (BCC), to ultra-poor women and their family members in two regions of rural Bangladesh.
• The nutrition BCC entailed intensive weekly group-based nutrition training, home visits, and community meetings focused on infant and young child feeding and encouraged home production of nutritious foods.
• We conducted a phone survey in November 2021 to re-interview a subset of the households that participated in TMRI from 2012-2014. We aimed to assess any differences in how they were faring shortly after the devastating third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.
• We find that attrition in our phone survey is low relative to the intended sample, and not correlated with treatment. This allows us to assume that differences across the treatment and control arms in November 2021 are causal differences – that is, persistent effects of the different treatment arms implemented seven years earlier.
• Overall, we find that households that received a combination of cash transfers and intensive nutrition BCC from 2012-2014 fare significantly better in November 2021 than those in the control group or the other arms, although they nonetheless struggle in many dimensions.
• In November 2021, compared with the control group, former Cash+BCC households report experiencing significantly lower prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity, report a more diverse diet (being significantly more likely to consume eggs, dairy, and fruit in the previous seven days), report a slightly smaller share of main earners being unemployed, and report experiencing significantly less stress.
• Our findings suggest that providing poor rural households in Bangladesh with sizable cash transfers of long duration alongside intensive complementary programming, such as nutrition BCC, may help them cope with future shocks. Thus, such programming may be a cost-effective strategy to reduce households’ immediate and future food and nutrition insecurity.
• The Transfer Modality Research Initiative (TMRI) was a pilot transfer program implemented in rural Bangladesh from 2012-2014, following a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. TMRI provided either cash transfers or food transfers, with or without nutrition behavior change communication (BCC), to ultra-poor women and their family members in two regions of rural Bangladesh.
• The nutrition BCC entailed intensive weekly group-based nutrition training, home visits, and community meetings focused on infant and young child feeding and encouraged home production of nutritious foods.
• We conducted a phone survey in November 2021 to re-interview a subset of the households that participated in TMRI from 2012-2014. We aimed to assess any differences in how they were faring shortly after the devastating third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.
• We find that attrition in our phone survey is low relative to the intended sample, and not correlated with treatment. This allows us to assume that differences across the treatment and control arms in November 2021 are causal differences – that is, persistent effects of the different treatment arms implemented seven years earlier.
• Overall, we find that households that received a combination of cash transfers and intensive nutrition BCC from 2012-2014 fare significantly better in November 2021 than those in the control group or the other arms, although they nonetheless struggle in many dimensions.
• In November 2021, compared with the control group, former Cash+BCC households report experiencing significantly lower prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity, report a more diverse diet (being significantly more likely to consume eggs, dairy, and fruit in the previous seven days), report a slightly smaller share of main earners being unemployed, and report experiencing significantly less stress.
• Our findings suggest that providing poor rural households in Bangladesh with sizable cash transfers of long duration alongside intensive complementary programming, such as nutrition BCC, may help them cope with future shocks. Thus, such programming may be a cost-effective strategy to reduce households’ immediate and future food and nutrition insecurity.
Changes in food insecurity in rural Bangladesh during COVID-19
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hoddinott, John F.; Roy, Shalini; Anowar, Sadat; Al-Hasan, Md.; Ghostlaw, Julie. Washington, DC 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Gilligan, Daniel O.; Hoddinott, John F.; Roy, Shalini; Anowar, Sadat; Al-Hasan, Md.; Ghostlaw, Julie. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134909
Abstract | View
We use pre-pandemic (2018-2019) data from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS), together with three rounds of data collected by telephone in June 2020, January 2021, and September-October 2021, to understand changes in food security over time in a representative sample of rural Bangladeshi households.
• With the onset of the pandemic, combined with the lockdown restrictions imposed from March through May 2020, moderate and severe food insecurity tripled to 45 percent. This was likely driven by income losses and difficulties accessing food because of shop closures.
• By January 2021, the proportion of moderately or severely food insecure households had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels. The September-October 2021 survey showed no meaningful further change in the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity despite the strict national lockdown imposed in July-August 2021.
• A different picture emerges when we include the prevalence of mild food insecurity. The proportion of households reporting any food insecurity (mild, moderate or severe) increased from the pre-pandemic average of 45.7 percent to 87.8 percent in June 2020, before declining to 70.9 percent in January 2021 and 68 percent in September-October 2021. Dimensions of food insecurity that include consuming less diverse diets, being unable to eat healthy/nutritious food, and above all, being worried about not having enough food increased dramatically at the start of the pandemic and have remained elevated.
• Pre-pandemic, the majority of rural households in our sample were fully food secure; 18 months after the onset of the pandemic only 32 percent report no forms of food insecurity.
• In the immediate months after the outbreak (June 2020), many rural households coped by reducing expenditures on non-food goods, electricity and other utilities, and health-related items. The use of these forms of coping mechanisms has subsequently declined. However, the proportion of rural households that purchased food on credit (69 percent in June 2020) has barely changed and in all surveys fielded since the start of the pandemic, more than half of surveyed households have borrowed money to buy food. The continued use of savings and the ongoing use of credit to purchase food is consistent with the elevated levels of worry about not having enough food.
• A substantial share of rural households reported receiving cash or in-kind safety net support during the pandemic, mostly from government sources.
• Continued and expanded support from safety nets may be important, as many rural households face ongoing food insecurity and are using unsustainable coping strategies.
• With the onset of the pandemic, combined with the lockdown restrictions imposed from March through May 2020, moderate and severe food insecurity tripled to 45 percent. This was likely driven by income losses and difficulties accessing food because of shop closures.
• By January 2021, the proportion of moderately or severely food insecure households had largely returned to pre-pandemic levels. The September-October 2021 survey showed no meaningful further change in the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity despite the strict national lockdown imposed in July-August 2021.
• A different picture emerges when we include the prevalence of mild food insecurity. The proportion of households reporting any food insecurity (mild, moderate or severe) increased from the pre-pandemic average of 45.7 percent to 87.8 percent in June 2020, before declining to 70.9 percent in January 2021 and 68 percent in September-October 2021. Dimensions of food insecurity that include consuming less diverse diets, being unable to eat healthy/nutritious food, and above all, being worried about not having enough food increased dramatically at the start of the pandemic and have remained elevated.
• Pre-pandemic, the majority of rural households in our sample were fully food secure; 18 months after the onset of the pandemic only 32 percent report no forms of food insecurity.
• In the immediate months after the outbreak (June 2020), many rural households coped by reducing expenditures on non-food goods, electricity and other utilities, and health-related items. The use of these forms of coping mechanisms has subsequently declined. However, the proportion of rural households that purchased food on credit (69 percent in June 2020) has barely changed and in all surveys fielded since the start of the pandemic, more than half of surveyed households have borrowed money to buy food. The continued use of savings and the ongoing use of credit to purchase food is consistent with the elevated levels of worry about not having enough food.
• A substantial share of rural households reported receiving cash or in-kind safety net support during the pandemic, mostly from government sources.
• Continued and expanded support from safety nets may be important, as many rural households face ongoing food insecurity and are using unsustainable coping strategies.
Study on HarvestPlus' contribution to the development of national biofortification breeding programs
Douthwaite, Boru. Washington, DC 2021
Douthwaite, Boru. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134880
Abstract | View
This evaluative review is one of a series of end-of-program studies being carried out by the CGIAR Research Program (CRP) on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH) to document lessons from its achievements to inform future research and development (R&D) efforts. This study looks at lessons learned from HarvestPlus’ work with National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) to develop and implement sustainable biofortification breeding programs. HarvestPlus is part of A4NH.
Genomic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern identified from the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 immunized patients from southwest part of Bangladesh
Al-Emran, Hassan M.; Hasan, Md. Shazid; Setu, Md. Ali Ahasan; Rahman, M. Shaminur; Ul Alam, Rubayet A. S. M.; Sarkar, Shovon Lal; Islam, Md. Tanvir; Islam, Mir Raihanul; Rahman, Mohammad Mahfuzur; Islam, Ovinu Kibria; Jahid, Iqbal Kabir; Hossain, M. Anwar. 2022
Al-Emran, Hassan M.; Hasan, Md. Shazid; Setu, Md. Ali Ahasan; Rahman, M. Shaminur; Ul Alam, Rubayet A. S. M.; Sarkar, Shovon Lal; Islam, Md. Tanvir; Islam, Mir Raihanul; Rahman, Mohammad Mahfuzur; Islam, Ovinu Kibria; Jahid, Iqbal Kabir; Hossain, M. Anwar. 2022
DOI : 10.1016/j.jiph.2021.12.002
Abstract | View
Background
Bangladesh introduced ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 since February, 2021 and in six months, only a small population (12.8%) received either one or two dose of vaccination like other low-income countries. The COVID-19 infections were continued to roll all over the places although the information on genomic variations of SARS-CoV-2 between both immunized and unimmunized group was unavailable. The objective of this study was to compare the proportion of immune escaping variants between those groups.
Bangladesh introduced ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 since February, 2021 and in six months, only a small population (12.8%) received either one or two dose of vaccination like other low-income countries. The COVID-19 infections were continued to roll all over the places although the information on genomic variations of SARS-CoV-2 between both immunized and unimmunized group was unavailable. The objective of this study was to compare the proportion of immune escaping variants between those groups.
Methods
A total of 4718 nasopharygeal samples were collected from March 1 until April 15, 2021, of which, 834 (18%) were SARS-CoV-2 positive. The minimum sample size was calculated as 108 who were randomly selected for telephone interview and provided consent. The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and disease severity among both immunized and unimmunized groups was measured. A total of 63 spike protein sequences and 14 whole-genome sequences were performed from both groups and phylogenetic reconstruction and mutation analysis were compared.
Results
A total of 40 respondents (37%, N = 108) received single-dose and 2 (2%) received both doses of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine, which significantly reduce dry cough, loss of appetite and difficulties in breathing compared to none. There was no significant difference in hospitalization, duration of hospitalization or reduction of other symptoms like running nose, muscle pain, shortness of breathing or generalized weakness between immunized and unimmunized groups. Spike protein sequence assumed 21 (87.5%) B.1.351, one B.1.526 and two 20B variants in immunized group compared to 27 (69%) B.1.351, 5 (13%) B.1.1.7, 4 (10%) 20B, 2 B.1.526 and one B.1.427 variant in unimmunized group. Whole genome sequence analysis of 14 cases identified seven B.1.351 Beta V2, three B.1.1.7 Alpha V1, one B.1.526 Eta and the rest three 20B variants.
Conclusion
Our study observed that ChAdOx1 could not prevent the new infection or severe COVID-19 disease outcome with single dose while the infections were mostly caused by B.1.351 variants in Bangladesh.
Agricultural adaptations to climate change in Bangladesh: Crop yield reductions and sustainable development implications
Bedi, Heather; Alam, Shamma; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab. Washington, DC 2021
Bedi, Heather; Alam, Shamma; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab. Washington, DC 2021
Abstract | View
Agricultural lands are vital to food security, which is imperative to the “no global hunger” objective of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Global food security is at risk from climatic change related increased temperatures, fluctuating precipitation levels, and greater frequency of extreme weather. Bangladesh’s low topography, high population density, high poverty levels, and economic dependency on agriculture indicates a higher vulnerability to climate change, despite the nation’s minimal greenhouse gas emissions. To examine these trends in Bangladesh, this research analyzes a survey of over 800 Bangladeshi farmers to understand how they experience and adapt to climate change. Through quantitative data collation and analysis, research illuminates that 90% of farmers reported changing their practices because they observed long-term shifts in climate. The majority of these farmers reported significant changes to important agricultural practices such as changing the variety of crop they produce, irrigating their farms more, and changing their fertilizer application. Analysis of this data in relation to
population vulnerability and the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals reveals which groups are most at risk of food insecurity and livelihood loss as Bangladesh experiences higher agricultural variability related to climatic change. Lessons learned from Bangladesh have global
implications, particularly for other developing countries experiencing agricultural transitions.
population vulnerability and the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals reveals which groups are most at risk of food insecurity and livelihood loss as Bangladesh experiences higher agricultural variability related to climatic change. Lessons learned from Bangladesh have global
implications, particularly for other developing countries experiencing agricultural transitions.
Food system transformation and policy implications for Bangladesh
Hossain, Md. Tanjil; Babu, Suresh Chandra. 2021
Hossain, Md. Tanjil; Babu, Suresh Chandra. 2021
Abstract | View
According to the recently concluded United Nations Food System Summit 21 (UNFSS21), realignment of food system is needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to eliminating hunger and malnutrition in all forms, poverty reduction and sustainable management of natural resources. Food systems constitute all the activities and entities that are engaged in ensuring sustainable use and management of natural resources used in food production topost-harvest processes, storage, food markets, processing, food trade, consumption, nutrition, and health outcomes for all participating in the food system. In Bangladesh agriculture plays an important role for rural and economic development and structural transformation. Food system in Bangladesh is transforming rapidly but the direction and the pathways for investment are not clear.
Gaps in the implementation and uptake of maternal nutrition interventions in antenatal care services in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and India
Sanghvi, Tina; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Tharaney, Manisha; Ghosh, Sebanti; Escobar-Alegria, Jessica; Kim, Sunny S.. 2022
Sanghvi, Tina; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Tharaney, Manisha; Ghosh, Sebanti; Escobar-Alegria, Jessica; Kim, Sunny S.. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13293
Abstract | View
Antenatal care (ANC) is the largest health platform globally for delivering maternal nutrition interventions (MNIs) to pregnant women. Yet, large missed opportunities remain in nutrition service delivery. This paper examines how well evidence-based MNIs were incorporated in national policies and programs in Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and India. We compared the nutrition content of ANC protocols against global recommendations. We used survey data to elucidate the coverage of micronutrient supplementation, weight gain monitoring, dietary and breastfeeding counselling. We reviewed literature, formative research and program assessments to identify barriers and enabling factors of service provision and maternal nutrition practices. Nutrition information in national policies and protocols was often fragmented, incomplete and did not consistently follow global recommendations. Nationally representative data on MNIs in ANC was inadequate, except for iron and folic acid supplementation. Coverage data from subnational surveys showed similar patterns of strengths and weaknesses. MNI coverage was consistently lower than ANC coverage with the lowest coverage of weight gain monitoring and variable coverage of dietary and breastfeeding counselling. Key common factors associated with coverage were micronutrient supply disruptions; suboptimal counselling on maternal diet, weight gain, and breastfeeding; and limited or no record keeping. Adherence of women to micronutrient supplementation and dietary recommendations was low and associated with late and too few ANC contacts, poor maternal knowledge and self-efficacy, and insufficient family and community support. Models of comprehensive nutrition protocols and health systems that deliver maternal nutrition services in ANC are urgently needed along with national data systems to track progress.
2018 Social Accounting Matrix for Bangladesh: A Nexus Project SAM
Dorosh, Paul A.; Pradesha, Angga; Raihan, Selim; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2021
Dorosh, Paul A.; Pradesha, Angga; Raihan, Selim; Thurlow, James. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134811
Abstract | View
"The 2018 Bangladesh Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) follows IFPRI's Standard Nexus SAM approach, by focusing on consistency, comparability, and transparency of data. The Nexus SAMs available on IFPRI's website separates domestic production into 42 activities. Factors are disaggregated into labor, agricultural land, and capital, with labor further disaggregated across three education-based categories. The household account is divided into 10 representative household groups: Rural and urban households across per capita consumption quintiles. Nexus SAMs support the improvement of model-based research and policy analysis in developing countries and allow for more robust cross-country comparisons of national economic structures, especially agriculture-food systems.
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Conflict, extremism, resilience and peace in South Asia; can covid-19 provide a bridge for peace and rapprochement?
Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Mitra, Arun; Salman, Afsah; Akbari, Fawad; Dalil, Suraya; Menon, Purnima. 2021
Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Mitra, Arun; Salman, Afsah; Akbari, Fawad; Dalil, Suraya; Menon, Purnima. 2021
DOI : 10.1136/BMJ-2021-067384
Abstract | View
South Asia, home to 1.97 billion people (25% of the world’s population), is no stranger to conflict and confrontation. Longstanding border disputes (such as between India and China and the decades-old standoff between India and Pakistan), the forced displacement of Myanmar Muslims to Bangladesh, and the 2021 rise of the Taliban triggering a mass exodus of professionals and educated women from Afghanistan underscore the enormous volatility and unpredictability of the region. Climate change poses a further challenge, with the real risk of interstate “water wars.”1 Indeed, South Asia now faces a range of threats, with real risks of these spilling over into interstate conflict.
The links between longstanding conflict, insecurity, and poverty are well recognised.23 Abject poverty, especially when associated with disparities, underlies many of the known conflicts worldwide, unsurprisingly given the drain conflict places on social sector spending. And although lack of social inclusion and ethnic inequalities have been shown to lead to domestic terrorism,4 economic inequalities and grievances are stronger drivers of rebellion,5 and are particularly relevant in South Asia. Despite robust economic growth and progress on many technological fronts, South Asia still has the world’s largest concentrations of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, and preventable maternal and child deaths outside sub-Saharan Africa.6 Widespread poverty is closely intertwined with social disparities, marginalisation on the basis of an egregious caste system, and vast inequities that perpetuate disillusionment, grassroot rebellion, and further conflict.
The links between longstanding conflict, insecurity, and poverty are well recognised.23 Abject poverty, especially when associated with disparities, underlies many of the known conflicts worldwide, unsurprisingly given the drain conflict places on social sector spending. And although lack of social inclusion and ethnic inequalities have been shown to lead to domestic terrorism,4 economic inequalities and grievances are stronger drivers of rebellion,5 and are particularly relevant in South Asia. Despite robust economic growth and progress on many technological fronts, South Asia still has the world’s largest concentrations of poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, and preventable maternal and child deaths outside sub-Saharan Africa.6 Widespread poverty is closely intertwined with social disparities, marginalisation on the basis of an egregious caste system, and vast inequities that perpetuate disillusionment, grassroot rebellion, and further conflict.
Maternal diets in India: Gaps, barriers, and opportunities
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Kachwaha, Shivani; Tran, Lan Mai; Sanghvi, Tina; Ghosh, Sebanti; Menon, Purnima. 2021
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Kachwaha, Shivani; Tran, Lan Mai; Sanghvi, Tina; Ghosh, Sebanti; Menon, Purnima. 2021
DOI : 10.3390/nu13103534
Abstract | View
Suboptimal dietary intake is a critical cause of poor maternal nutrition, with several adverse consequences both for mothers and for their children. This study aimed to (1) assess maternal dietary patterns in India; (2) examine enablers and barriers in adopting recommended diets; (3) review current policy and program strategies to improve dietary intakes. We used mixed methods, including empirical analysis, compiling data from available national and subnational surveys, and reviewing literature, policy, and program strategies. Diets among pregnant women are characterized by low energy, macronutrient imbalance, and inadequate micronutrient intake. Supply- and demand-side constraints to healthy diets include food unavailability, poor economic situation, low exposure to nutrition counselling, food restrictions and taboos, adverse family influence and gender norms, and gaps in knowledge. Intervention strategies with potential to improve maternal diets include food-based programs, behavior change communication, and nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions. However, strategies face implementation bottlenecks and limited effectiveness in real-world at-scale impact evaluations. In conclusion, investments in systems approaches spanning health, nutrition, and agriculture sectors, with evaluation frameworks at subnational levels, are needed to promote healthy diets for women.
Introduction [in Securing food for all in Bangladesh]
Ahmed, Akhter; Islam, Nurul; Mujeri, Mustafa K.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Islam, Nurul; Mujeri, Mustafa K.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_int
Abstract | View
Food is the most important basic need for sustenance and survival, and the right to food is among the fundamental human rights. Access to sufficient food at all times to meet dietary needs of millions of people in Bangladesh is a matter of critical importance and should be an issue of paramount concern to those responsible for the nation’s welfare. According to Article 15 (a) of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, it is a principal responsibility of the State to meet the basic food needs of all citizens. Furthermore, Article 18(1) of the Constitution has made the improvement of the nutritional status of the people and the improvement of public health, the primary responsibilities of the state.
This book assembles a set of papers that collectively focus on the extensive undertaking of securing food for all in Bangladesh. The book addresses four broad issues: (1) agricultural technology adoption; (2) input use and agricultural productivity; (3) food security and output market; and (4) poverty, food security and women’s empowerment. The chapters, fifteen in total, address diverse aspects within these four themes.
This book assembles a set of papers that collectively focus on the extensive undertaking of securing food for all in Bangladesh. The book addresses four broad issues: (1) agricultural technology adoption; (2) input use and agricultural productivity; (3) food security and output market; and (4) poverty, food security and women’s empowerment. The chapters, fifteen in total, address diverse aspects within these four themes.
Securing food for all in Bangladesh: Synopsis
Ahmed, Akhter, ed.; Islam, Nurul, ed.; Mujeri, Mustafa K., ed.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Ahmed, Akhter, ed.; Islam, Nurul, ed.; Mujeri, Mustafa K., ed.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134737
Abstract | View
Securing Food for All in Bangladesh presents an array of research that collectively addresses four broad issues: (1) agricultural technology adoption; (2) input use and agricultural productivity; (3) food security and output markets; and (4) poverty, food security, and women’s empowerment. The fifteen chapters of the book address diverse aspects within these four themes.
Rural Bangladeshi consumers’ willingness to pay for rice with improved nutrition via zinc biofortified rice and decreased milling practices
Herrington, Caitlin; Maredia, Mywish K.; Ortega, David L.; Taleon, Victor; Birol, Ekin; Sarkar, Md. Abdur Rouf; Rahaman, Md. Shajedur. 2021
Herrington, Caitlin; Maredia, Mywish K.; Ortega, David L.; Taleon, Victor; Birol, Ekin; Sarkar, Md. Abdur Rouf; Rahaman, Md. Shajedur. 2021
DOI : 10.22004/ag.econ.315079
Abstract | View
Zinc deficiency is a severe public health issue in Bangladesh. We examine the effects of nutritional information on rural consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for two ways to address zinc deficiency—biofortification of rice with increased zinc content (an invisible trait) and low-milling that gives rice grains a distinctive light brown color (a visible trait) and sets it apart from the culturally preferred highlymilled white rice grain. Results of our economic experiments suggest that with nutritional information, consumers are willing to pay a premium of 6% for zinc biofortified rice compared to non-biofortified rice. However, results confirm the strong preference for high milled rice of Bangladeshi consumers who discounted less-milled rice by 14%. This discount was reduced to 10% with information, suggesting a positive effect (4%) of information on WTP for less-milled rice. We also find that consumers’ WTP for these two high-zinc rice grains was positively correlated with being a female, more education, and belonging to households with a major income source from non-farm activities and with children under five years of age. Results point to the importance of nutritional awareness campaigns for increasing zinc biofortified and low-milled rice consumption and guiding the targeting strategy for such campaigns.
Sudden onion price surge in Bangladesh: A situation analysis for policy
Ahmed, Akhter; Kaikaus, Ahmad. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Kaikaus, Ahmad. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_11
Abstract | View
Onion is a key ingredient in most Bangladeshi meals, so its sudden price spurt in the domestic market in early-July 2013 raised deep concerns among the people and the government. While such a price surge hits low-income consumers the hardest, it can also become an important political issue. For example, in India, onion prices were regarded as the decisive factor in the 1998 state elections in Delhi and Rajasthan and were responsible for bringing down the central government in 1980. Following the 2013 price hike, a situation analysis of the onion price surge was conducted with a view to derive policy recommendations for onion price stabilization in the country. The analysis of onion price situation was based on information collected from a number of sources.
Securing food for all in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter, ed.; Islam, Nurul, ed.; Mujeri, Mustafa K., ed.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Ahmed, Akhter, ed.; Islam, Nurul, ed.; Mujeri, Mustafa K., ed.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715
Abstract | View
Securing Food for All in Bangladesh presents an array of research that collectively address four broad issues: (1) agricultural technology adoption; (2) input use and agricultural productivity; (3) food security and output market; and (4) poverty, food security, and women’s empowerment. The fifteen chapters of the book address diverse aspects within these four themes.
Access to sufficient food by all people at all times to meet their dietary needs is a matter of critical importance. Despite declining arable agricultural land, Bangladesh has made commendable progress in boosting domestic food production. The growth in overall food production has been keeping ahead of population growth, resulting in higher per capita availability of food over time. In the early 1970s, Bangladesh was a food-deficit country with a population of about 75 million. Today, the population is 165 million, and the country is now self-sufficient in rice production, which has tripled over the past three decades. Along with enhanced food production, increased income has improved people’s access to food. Furthermore, nutritional outcomes have improved significantly.
Nevertheless, the challenges to food and nutrition security remain formidable. Future agricultural growth and food and nutrition security are threatened by population growth, worsening soil fertility, diminishing access to land and other scarce natural resources, increasing vulnerability of crop varieties to pests and diseases, and persistent poverty leading to poor access to food. In addition, the impacts of climate change—an increase in the incidence of natural disasters, sea intrusion, and salinity—will exacerbate food and nutrition insecurity in the coming decades if corrective measures are not taken. Aligned with this context, the authors of the book explore policy options and strategies for developing agriculture and improving food security in Bangladesh.
Securing Food for All in Bangladesh, with its breadth and scope, will be an invaluable resource for policymakers, researchers, and students dedicated to improving people’s livelihoods in Bangladesh.
Access to sufficient food by all people at all times to meet their dietary needs is a matter of critical importance. Despite declining arable agricultural land, Bangladesh has made commendable progress in boosting domestic food production. The growth in overall food production has been keeping ahead of population growth, resulting in higher per capita availability of food over time. In the early 1970s, Bangladesh was a food-deficit country with a population of about 75 million. Today, the population is 165 million, and the country is now self-sufficient in rice production, which has tripled over the past three decades. Along with enhanced food production, increased income has improved people’s access to food. Furthermore, nutritional outcomes have improved significantly.
Nevertheless, the challenges to food and nutrition security remain formidable. Future agricultural growth and food and nutrition security are threatened by population growth, worsening soil fertility, diminishing access to land and other scarce natural resources, increasing vulnerability of crop varieties to pests and diseases, and persistent poverty leading to poor access to food. In addition, the impacts of climate change—an increase in the incidence of natural disasters, sea intrusion, and salinity—will exacerbate food and nutrition insecurity in the coming decades if corrective measures are not taken. Aligned with this context, the authors of the book explore policy options and strategies for developing agriculture and improving food security in Bangladesh.
Securing Food for All in Bangladesh, with its breadth and scope, will be an invaluable resource for policymakers, researchers, and students dedicated to improving people’s livelihoods in Bangladesh.
Promoting national and household food security in Bangladesh: Evolving roles of public stocks, cereal distribution and private trade
Dorosh, Paul A.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Dorosh, Paul A.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_08
Abstract | View
Large-scale government interventions in cereal markets supported by public stocks have been a central part of food policy in the Indian sub-content since the days of British colonial India. Following the Great Bengal Famine of 1943, during which an estimated three million people died of hungerrelated causes, the colonial government instituted a system of government sales and distribution of cereals designed to help ensure minimum food consumption for poor households (Sen 1982). Public distribution systems continued in both India and Pakistan following independence in 1947. The famine conditions in 1972-74 that followed the liberation war and Bangladesh’s independence in December 1971 strongly reinforced the perceived need for major public interventions to ensure food security (see Ahmed, Haggblade, and Chowdhury 2000).
Economics of water resources management in Bangladesh
Shahabuddin, Quazi; Yunus, Mohammad; Islam, K. M. Nabiul. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Shahabuddin, Quazi; Yunus, Mohammad; Islam, K. M. Nabiul. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_06
Abstract | View
In Bangladesh, the dry season of October to March is characterised by falling water tables, reduction in the discharge of major rivers, drying water channels, and salinity intrusion, particularly in the southwest coastal region. Demand for groundwater is at its highest during this season. Although groundwater has powered the expansion of cereal production over the last two decades or so, the sustainability of groundwater-based agricultural production has been questioned by many researchers. The tension between water supply and demand during the dry season thus has become a critical one.
Food security implications of rice value chain management in Bangladesh
Mujeri, Mustafa K.; Ahmed, Nazneen; Hossain, M. I.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Mujeri, Mustafa K.; Ahmed, Nazneen; Hossain, M. I.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_09
Abstract | View
Since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971, the country’s population has more than doubled to over 160 million in 2016. Despite a large population and severe resource constraints, the country has achieved significant development including steady growth in per capita income and impressive gains in human development. The incidence of poverty has also declined from nearly 60 percent in the early 1990s to less than a quarter in recent years. However, there are still millions of people who are food insecure, as commonly understood, in terms of complex multi-faceted issues concerning not just agriculture, technology and trade, but also involving multiple social and ecological considerations.
Challenges and opportunities for hybrid rice in Bangladesh
Spielman, David J.; Ward, Patrick S.; Kolady, Deepthi Elizabeth; Ar-Rashid, Harun. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Spielman, David J.; Ward, Patrick S.; Kolady, Deepthi Elizabeth; Ar-Rashid, Harun. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_02
Abstract | View
Many studies suggest that hybrid rice can contribute to food security in developing countries, especially in parts of Asia where rice production is so vital to the rural economy and where rice remains a staple of both urban and rural food consumption. The higher yields attributable to hybrid rice have the potential to increase food availability for farm households’ own consumption, while also increasing farm incomes through sales of larger marketable surpluses. These larger marketable surpluses can result in increased food supplies that reduce or stabilize prices for both urban and rural food-insecure households (see e.g. Lin and Pingali 1994; Xie and Hardy 2009).
Climbing up the ladder and watching out for the fall: Poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Tauseef, Salauddin. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Tauseef, Salauddin. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_13
Abstract | View
In Bangladesh, the pace of economic growth accelerated in recent years, with real GDP growing at a rate of 6.5 percent on average per year between 2010 and 2016, reaching 7.3 percent in 2017—the highest in the country’s history. The incidence of poverty in Bangladesh was cut in half in the past 16 years, dropping from 48.9 percent in 2000 to 24.3 percent in 2016. In rural areas, poverty headcount declined from 52.3 percent to 26.4 percent over the same period (BBS 2017).
Rice productivity in Bangladesh: What are you the benefits of irrigation?
Bell, Andrew R.; Bryan, Elizabeth; Ringler, Claudia; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Bell, Andrew R.; Bryan, Elizabeth; Ringler, Claudia; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_04
Abstract | View
Agricultural production in Bangladesh has undergone dramatic changes over the past several decades. Green Revolution technologies transformed the agriculture system in the country through the introduction of highyielding rice and wheat varieties, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the expansion of tube well-irrigated area, enabling crop production during the dry season (e.g. Hossain 1988; Sen, Mujeri, and Shahabuddin 2004; Timmer 2005). As a result, yields of key staples, namely rice but also wheat, have increased as has food availability. However, serious challenges continue to plague the agriculture sector. These include scarcity of land due to high population density, unbalanced use of fertilizers and pesticides, great variation in water supply across seasons from drought to stagnant flood conditions, resource degradation due to over-application of chemicals and intensive year-round cultivation of rice, climate change and related extreme climatic events.
Escalation of real wages in Bangladesh: Is it the beginning of structural transformation?
Zhang, Xiaobo; Rashid, Shahidur; Kaikaus, Ahmad; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Zhang, Xiaobo; Rashid, Shahidur; Kaikaus, Ahmad; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_10
Abstract | View
With about 1,200 people per square kilometer, Bangladesh is one the most densely populated countries on the planet. The reality of intense population pressure is reflected in commonly portrayed images in the popular media, such as crowded buses and trains with passengers on top, endless lines of human-powered rickshaws, and deaths in the thousands from both natural and man-made disasters. With increasing landlessness, and a heavy reliance on labor markets, understanding the dynamics of wage formation in this setting is critically important for identifying the process of economic transformation and poverty reduction. However, both theories and empirics of wage determination in Bangladesh, and elsewhere in developing countries, have intrigued economists for decades. The neoclassical theories, where labor demand and wages are determined by the marginal physical product, cannot explain stable wages amid seemingly unlimited supply of workers and massive involuntary unemployment in developing countries like Bangladesh. The reason is simple: if market clearing conditions hold, unemployed workers should bid down wages until full employment as reached. One set of theories that provide a more coherent explanation of stable wages amid abundant labor supply has been the nutrition-based efficiency wage theory, originally proposed by Leibenstein (1957) and Mazumdar (1959). The premise of this theory is that since productivity depends on consumption, it is in the interest of the employers to pay a wage that ensures minimum calorie requirement of the workers so that they can work effectively.
Fertilizer policy in Bangladesh: State intervention in markets and prices
Islam, Nurul; Mujeri, Mustafa K.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Islam, Nurul; Mujeri, Mustafa K.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_05
Abstract | View
Bangladesh has achieved commendable progress in agriculture especially in increasing food grains production over the past few decades. Three mutually supportive mechanisms have operated in different degrees for expanding agricultural (food) production in Bangladesh during the period: first, the increase in efficiency of use of farm inputs and technologies; second, using more productive inputs; and third, adopting improved technologies. Among the three, the first two have helped the small and marginal farmers (who form the overwhelming majority in Bangladesh agriculture) to experience the immediate benefits of higher farm outputs, contributing to an increased income and better living conditions. The third has been particularly important in enhancing the welfare of the consumers (resulting from lower real food prices) including the largest segment of the poor households in both rural and urban areas who are net buyers of food in Bangladesh (Mujeri, Shahana, Chowdhury, and Haider 2013).
Transfers, behavior change communication, and intimate partner violence: Post-program evidence from rural Bangladesh
Roy, Shalini; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Roy, Shalini; Hidrobo, Melissa; Hoddinott, John F.; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_15
Abstract | View
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major global public health problem with economic costs ranging from 1-4 percent of GDP (García-Moreno et al. 2015; Ribero and Sánchez 2005). IPV has multiple malign consequences for women’s physical and mental health (Ellsberg et al. 2008; Kapiga et al. 2017) and is the leading cause of women’s death by homicide (Devries et al. 2013). Adverse effects are transmitted inter-generationally, with IPV linked to poorer child development, nutrition, and health outcomes, as well as a greater likelihood of children also entering into abusive relationships (Aizer 2010; Fulu et al. 2017; Hasselmann and Reichenheim 2006; Karamagi et al. 2007; Koenen et al. 2003; Pollak 2004; Yount et al. 2011). Using data from 141 studies from 81 countries, Devries et al. (2013) estimate that 30 percent of all adult women have experienced physical or sexual IPV. There is considerable regional variation in this prevalence, with South Asia (41 percent)—the region of our study—among the highest in the world.
The 'quiet revolution' in the aquaculture value chain in Bangladesh
Hernandez, Ricardo; Belton, Ben; Reardon, Thomas; Hu, Chaoran; Zhang, Xiaobo; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Hernandez, Ricardo; Belton, Ben; Reardon, Thomas; Hu, Chaoran; Zhang, Xiaobo; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_12
Abstract | View
There are two strands in the socioeconomic literature on aquaculture. The first, which we call “micro socioeconomics,” is work centered on the role of farm households as fish producers, and the impacts of aquaculture on rural communities where aquaculture takes place. This strand can be divided into three themes: (i) farm technology diffusion and efficiency (e.g., Dey et al. 2005; Rauniyar 1998); (ii) farm interactions with the environment (e.g., Islam 2014; Primavera 2006); (iii) livelihoods. The latter can be divided further into studies linking aquaculture to poverty reduction and studies of impacts of aquaculture on communities. The “poverty” literature has focused on the role of small-scale and subsistence forms of aquaculture for household food security and incomes (e.g., Bondad-Reantaso and Subasinghe 2013). The “community” literature adopts a more critical approach to the distribution of benefits and losses from aquaculture among farm and non-farm households (e.g., Paprocki and Cons 2014; Toufique and Gregory 2008).
Women's empowerment in agriculture: What role for food security in Bangladesh?
Sraboni, Esha; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Sraboni, Esha; Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Ahmed, Akhter. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_14
Abstract | View
While Bangladesh has experienced steady advances in food production through the adoption of agricultural technologies, chronic food insecurity remains a challenge. Similar to other countries in South Asia, there is a strong gender dimension to food insecurity and malnutrition in Bangladesh. In South Asia, the low status of women and gender gaps in health and education contribute to chronic child malnutrition (Smith et al. 2003) and food insecurity (von Grebmer et al. 2009), even as other determinants of food security, such as per capita incomes, have improved. Renewed interest in agriculture as an engine of inclusive growth and specifically in women’s empowerment has highlighted the need to develop indicators for measuring women’s empowerment, to examine its relationship to various food security outcomes, and to monitor the impact of interventions to empower women.
Agricultural technology adoption in the Feed the Future zone in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Hernandez, Ricardo; Naher, Firdousi. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Hernandez, Ricardo; Naher, Firdousi. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_01
Abstract | View
Technology is the basis for sustainable agricultural growth. Enhanced agricultural productivity and growth depend, to a large extent, upon the widespread adoption of appropriate technologies by farmers. Seed, fertilizer and irrigation technologies known as the ‘Green Revolution’ technologies have long played major roles in the growth of agriculture production in Bangladesh. The country has made commendable progress in domestic rice production through farmers’ adoption of these technologies. In the early 1970s, Bangladesh was a seriously food-deficit country with a population of about 75 million. Today, the population is more than 160 million, and Bangladesh is on the brink of self-sufficiency in rice production, which has tripled over the past three decades.
Agricultural technology potential for rice in Bangladesh
Xie, Hua; Cenacchi, Nicola; Ringler, Claudia. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Xie, Hua; Cenacchi, Nicola; Ringler, Claudia. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_03
Abstract | View
Bangladesh has excellent conditions for rice production, with production possible during up to three seasons in a year. Production in Bangladesh increased rapidly during the 1960s to 1990s as a result of Green Revolution technologies fueled by short-duration varieties, irrigation, and fertilizers. Given the rapidly vanishing land base due to increased population density, urbanization, land degradation and climate change, technological change remains the key factor determining the potential for productivity growth of the agriculture sector in Bangladesh. The need for accelerated technological change was further sharpened as a result of the recent food price crises, which have led to increased calls for food self-sufficiency in the country (Asaduzzaman et al. 2010).
Seeding the future: Accelerating seed system development in Bangladesh
Naher, Firdousi; Spielman, David J.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
Naher, Firdousi; Spielman, David J.. Dhaka, Bangladesh 2021
DOI : 10.2499/9789845063715_07
Abstract | View
Evidence accumulated from many developing countries during the past 50 years has demonstrated that yield-enhancing cultivars are vital inputs to sustained agricultural productivity growth, particularly in land-scarce countries where yield growth can only be achieved through intensification (Evenson and Gollin 2003). But sustained productivity growth requires more than just strong scientific expertise and good plant breeding programs. It also requires a modern seed system that has the capacity and infrastructure to multiply, popularize, and distribute these cultivars. And while there are many different designs for a modern seed system, they all share one commonality—they shift seed use practices away from traditional approaches in which farmers select, save, and exchange seeds, to a system that integrates traditional approaches with modern science, public investment, and market signals to provide farmers with more systematic access to improved cultivars and quality seed. Necessarily, this shift also means that seed becomes an economic commodity: it becomes the embodiment of innovative effort undertaken by plant breeders, entrepreneurs, sales representatives, and farmers, across whom the gains from innovation must be distributed in a manner that encourages continuous production and further innovation. It is the role of the policymaker to develop policies that encourage both production and innovation to benefit society.
Food insecurity and COVID-19 risk in low- and middle-income countries
Mueller, Valerie; Grépin, Karen A.; Rabbani, Atonu; Navia, Bianca; Ngunjiri, Anne S. W.; Wu, Nicole. 2022
Mueller, Valerie; Grépin, Karen A.; Rabbani, Atonu; Navia, Bianca; Ngunjiri, Anne S. W.; Wu, Nicole. 2022
DOI : 10.1002/aepp.13200
Abstract | View
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted social distancing, workplace closures, and restrictions on mobility and trade that had cascading effects on economic activity, food prices, and employment in low- and middle-income countries. Using longitudinal data from Bangladesh, Kenya, and Nigeria covering a period from October 2020 to April 2021, the paper assesses whether knowledge of a person infected with COVID-19 is associated with food insecurity, job loss and business closures, and coping strategies to smooth consumption. The likelihood of households to experience food insecurity at the extensive and intensive margins increased among those who knew an infected person in Bangladesh and Kenya.
Urban educated group's perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic management in Bangladesh: A qualitative exploration
Joarder, Taufique; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Joarder, Mohammad A. I.. 2021
Joarder, Taufique; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Joarder, Mohammad A. I.. 2021
DOI : 10.12688/f1000research.28333.2
Abstract | View
Background: Since the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak, Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has taken various measures to restrict virus transmission and inform the people of the situation. However, the success of such measures largely depends on a positive public perception of the government’s ability to act decisively and the transparency of its communication. We explored public perceptions of pandemic management efforts by the Bangladeshi health sector decision-makers in this study.
Methods: As this qualitative research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, data was gathered through seven online mixed-gender focus group discussions involving 50 purposively selected clinicians and non-clinicians.
Results: The study participants concurred that, from the outset, decision-makers failed to engage the right kind of experts, which resulted in poor pandemic management that included imposing lockdown in periphery areas without arranging patient transport to the center, declaring certain hospitals as COVID-19 dedicated without preparing the facilities or the staff, and engaging private hospitals in care without allowing them to test the patients for COVID-19 infection. Several participants also commented on ineffective actions on behalf of the GoB, such as imposing home quarantine instead of institutional, corruption, miscommunication, and inadequate private sector regulation. The perception of the people regarding service providers is that they lacked responsiveness in providing treatment, with some doctors misleading the public by sharing misinformation. Service providers, on the other hand, observed that decision-makers failed to provide them with proper training, personal protective equipment, and workplace security, which has resulted in a high number of deaths among medical staff.
Conclusions: The Bangladeshi health sector decision-makers should learn from their mistakes to prevent further unnecessary loss of life and long-term economic downturn. They should adopt a science-based response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the short term while striving to develop a more resilient health system in the long run.
Methods: As this qualitative research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, data was gathered through seven online mixed-gender focus group discussions involving 50 purposively selected clinicians and non-clinicians.
Results: The study participants concurred that, from the outset, decision-makers failed to engage the right kind of experts, which resulted in poor pandemic management that included imposing lockdown in periphery areas without arranging patient transport to the center, declaring certain hospitals as COVID-19 dedicated without preparing the facilities or the staff, and engaging private hospitals in care without allowing them to test the patients for COVID-19 infection. Several participants also commented on ineffective actions on behalf of the GoB, such as imposing home quarantine instead of institutional, corruption, miscommunication, and inadequate private sector regulation. The perception of the people regarding service providers is that they lacked responsiveness in providing treatment, with some doctors misleading the public by sharing misinformation. Service providers, on the other hand, observed that decision-makers failed to provide them with proper training, personal protective equipment, and workplace security, which has resulted in a high number of deaths among medical staff.
Conclusions: The Bangladeshi health sector decision-makers should learn from their mistakes to prevent further unnecessary loss of life and long-term economic downturn. They should adopt a science-based response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the short term while striving to develop a more resilient health system in the long run.
Climbing up the ladder and watching out for the fall: Poverty dynamics in rural Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Tauseef, Salauddin. 2022
Ahmed, Akhter; Tauseef, Salauddin. 2022
DOI : 10.1007/s11205-021-02808-2
Signs of change: Evidence on women’s time use, identity, and subjective well-being in rural Bangladesh
Seymour, Greg; Floro, Maria S.. 2021
Seymour, Greg; Floro, Maria S.. 2021
DOI : 10.19268/JGAFS.612021.1
Abstract | View
We develop an analytical framework based on the work of Akerlof and Kranton (2000) and use it to examine how identity – proxied by agreement with statements reflecting patriarchal notions of gender roles – affects the trade-off between the time women spend on household and care work and their subjective well-being. Analyzing household survey data from rural Bangladesh, we find that longer hours spent on household work are associated with lower levels of subjective well-being among women who hold egalitarian notions of gender roles, while the reverse is true for women who hold patriarchal notions of gender roles. Importantly, this pattern holds only when women strongly identify with patriarchal or egalitarian notions of gender roles. These findings provide insights into how social expectations govern gender roles and, specifically, how gender inequalities persist, at least in part, due to men’s and women’s internalization of traditional gender norms.
Social and financial incentives for overcoming a collective action problem
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Guiteras, Raymond; Levinsohn, James; Mobarak, Ahmed Mushfiq. 2021
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Guiteras, Raymond; Levinsohn, James; Mobarak, Ahmed Mushfiq. 2021
Abstract | View
Addressing public health externalities often requires community-level collective action. Each person’s sanitation behavior can affect the health of neighbors. We report on a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted with 19,000 households in rural Bangladesh where we randomized (1) either group financial incentives or a non-financial “social recognition” reward, and (2) asking each household to make either a private pledge or a public pledge to maintain hygienic latrines. The group financial reward has the strongest impact in the short term (3 months), inducing a 7.5-12.5 percentage point increase in hygienic latrine ownership. Getting people to publicly commit to maintaining and using a hygienic latrine in front of their neighbors induced a 4.2-6.1 percentage point increase in hygienic latrine ownership in the short term. In the medium term (15 months), the effect of the financial reward dissipates while the effect of the public commitment persists. Neither social recognition nor private commitments produce effects statistically distinguishable from zero.
Maternal resources for care are associated with child growth and early childhood development in Bangladesh and Vietnam
Basnet, Sulochana; Frongillo, Edward A.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Moore, Spencer; Arabi, Mandana. 2022
Basnet, Sulochana; Frongillo, Edward A.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Moore, Spencer; Arabi, Mandana. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/cch.12911
Abstract | View
Background: Suboptimal child growth and development are significant problems in low- and middle-income countries. Maternal resources for care may help to improve growth and development. This study examined the association of maternal resources for care on child length, motor development and language development of children 12–23.9 months old.
Methods: We used baseline data from the Alive & Thrive household surveys collected in Bangladesh (n = 803) and Vietnam (n = 635). Resources for care were represented by maternal education, knowledge, height, well-nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making, employment, support in chores and perceived support. The regression analyses were adjusted for household wealth and other covariates on households, children and parents and accounted for geographical clustering.
Results: Maternal height (Bangladesh β = 0.150 p < 0.001, Vietnam β = 0.156 p < 0.001), well-nourishment (Vietnam β = 0.882 p = 0.007) and mental well-being (Bangladesh β = 0.0649 p = 0.008, Vietnam β = 0.0742 p = 0.039) were associated with child length. Well-nourishment (Vietnam β = 0.670 p = 0.042) and support in chores (Bangladesh β = 0.0983 p = 0.021) were associated with child motor development. Mental well-being (Vietnam β = 0.0735 p = 0.013), decision-making autonomy (Bangladesh β = 0.0886 p = 0.029) and perceived support (Vietnam β = 0.445 p = 0.003) were associated with child language development. Conclusion: Maternal height, well-nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making, support in chores and perceived social support were associated with child outcomes. Interventions that help to improve resources among mothers have potential to foster child growth and development.
Methods: We used baseline data from the Alive & Thrive household surveys collected in Bangladesh (n = 803) and Vietnam (n = 635). Resources for care were represented by maternal education, knowledge, height, well-nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making, employment, support in chores and perceived support. The regression analyses were adjusted for household wealth and other covariates on households, children and parents and accounted for geographical clustering.
Results: Maternal height (Bangladesh β = 0.150 p < 0.001, Vietnam β = 0.156 p < 0.001), well-nourishment (Vietnam β = 0.882 p = 0.007) and mental well-being (Bangladesh β = 0.0649 p = 0.008, Vietnam β = 0.0742 p = 0.039) were associated with child length. Well-nourishment (Vietnam β = 0.670 p = 0.042) and support in chores (Bangladesh β = 0.0983 p = 0.021) were associated with child motor development. Mental well-being (Vietnam β = 0.0735 p = 0.013), decision-making autonomy (Bangladesh β = 0.0886 p = 0.029) and perceived support (Vietnam β = 0.445 p = 0.003) were associated with child language development. Conclusion: Maternal height, well-nourishment, mental well-being, decision-making, support in chores and perceived social support were associated with child outcomes. Interventions that help to improve resources among mothers have potential to foster child growth and development.
Bangladesh: The impact of COVID-19 and food system responses
COVID-19 Hub. Washington, DC 2021
COVID-19 Hub. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134554
Abstract | View
While Bangladesh has had reactionary responses to the newer waves of COVID-19, it is projected that the country could face severe consequences if the Delta variant detected in May 2021 spreads. Since the beginning of the health crisis, CGIAR and partners have worked to support a food systems response to the pandemic through informing national policies and improving food security
Effect of nutrition counselling with a digital job aid on child dietary diversity: Analysis of secondary outcomes from a cluster randomised controlled trial in rural Bangladesh
Billah, Sk Masum; Ferdous, Tarana E.; Kelly, Patrick; Raynes-Greenow, Camille; Siddique, Abu Bakkar; Gillespie, Stuart; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima. 2022
Billah, Sk Masum; Ferdous, Tarana E.; Kelly, Patrick; Raynes-Greenow, Camille; Siddique, Abu Bakkar; Gillespie, Stuart; Hoddinott, John F.; Menon, Purnima. 2022
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13267
Abstract | View
Adequate dietary diversity among infants is often suboptimal in developing countries. We assessed the impact of nutrition counselling using a digital job aid on dietary diversity of children aged 6–23 months using data from a cluster randomised controlled trial in Bangladesh. The trial had five arms, each with 25 clusters. The four intervention arms provided counselling using a digital job aid and different prenatal and post-natal combinations of lipid-based supplements and the comparison arm with usual practice. We enrolled 1500 pregnant women and followed them until the children reached their second birthday. We developed a tablet-based system for intervention delivery, data collection and project supervision. We combined the four intervention arms (n = 855), in which community health workers (CHWs) provided age-appropriate complementary feeding counselling, to compare against the comparison arm (n = 403). We calculated the outcome indicators from the children's 24-h dietary recalls. Overall, the intervention increased the mean dietary diversity score by 0.09 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2–0.16) and odds of minimum dietary diversity by 18% (95% CI: 0.99–1.40). However, there was a significant interaction on the effect of the intervention on dietary diversity by age. The mean dietary diversity score was 0.24 (95% CI: 0.11–0.37) higher in the intervention than in the comparison arm at 9 months and 0.14 (95% CI: 0.01–27) at 12 months of age. The intervention effect was non-significant at an older age. Overall, consumption of flesh food was 1.32 times higher in the intervention arm (odds ratio [OR] 1.32, 95% CI: 1.11–1.57) in 6–23 months of age. The intervention significantly improved child dietary diversity score in households with mild and moderate food insecurity by 0.27 (95% CI: 0.06–0.49) and 0.16 (0.05–27), respectively, but not with food-secure and severely food-insecure households. Although the study did not evaluate the impact of digital job aid alone, the findings indicate the utility of nutrition counselling by CHWs using a digital job aid to improve child feeding practices in broader programmes.
Women’s empowerment and gender equality in agricultural value chains: Evidence from four countries in Asia and Africa
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Heckert, Jessica; Faas, Simone; Ramani, Gayathri V.; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Malapit, Hazel J.; The pro-WEAI for Market Inclusion Study Team. 2021
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Heckert, Jessica; Faas, Simone; Ramani, Gayathri V.; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Malapit, Hazel J.; The pro-WEAI for Market Inclusion Study Team. 2021
DOI : 10.1007/s12571-021-01193-5
Abstract | View
Women play important roles at different nodes of both agricultural and off-farm value chains, but in many countries their contributions are either underestimated or limited by prevailing societal norms or gender-specific barriers. We use primary data collected in Asia (Bangladesh, Philippines) and Africa (Benin, Malawi) to examine the relationships between women’s empowerment, gender equality, and participation in a variety of local agricultural value chains that comprise the food system. We find that the value chain and the specific node of engagement matter, as do other individual and household characteristics, but in different ways depending on country context. Entrepreneurship—often engaged in by wealthier households with greater ability to take risks—is not necessarily empowering for women; nor is household wealth, as proxied by their asset ownership. Increased involvement in the market is not necessarily correlated with greater gender equality. Education is positively correlated with higher empowerment of both men and women, but the strength of this association varies. Training and extension services are generally positively associated with empowerment but could also exacerbate the inequality in empowerment between men and women in the same household. All in all, culture and context determine whether participation in value chains—and which node of the value chain—is empowering. In designing food systems interventions, care should be taken to consider the social and cultural contexts in which these food systems operate, so that interventions do not exacerbate existing gender inequalities.
Household food insecurity after the early monsoon flash flood of 2017 among wetland (Haor) communities of northeastern Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study
Parvez, Mahmood; Islam, Mir Raihanul; Dey, Nepal C.. 2022
Parvez, Mahmood; Islam, Mir Raihanul; Dey, Nepal C.. 2022
DOI : 10.1002/fes3.326
Abstract | View
The livelihoods of wetland (Haor) communities living in northeastern region of Bangladesh are largely dependent on agriculture. Unseasonably heavy rainfall in Haor basin and upstream Indian catchments triggered a devastating early monsoon flash flood in Haor basin at the beginning of April in 2017, which destroyed the nearly ready-to-harvest annual rice crop and resulted in significant income loss of Haor dwellers. The present study aims at assessing post-flood household food insecurity and the factors associated with it in the aftermath of this flash flood. A cross-sectional study design was adopted, and a survey covering 1845 flood-affected households was conducted to measure the post-flood household food insecurity. A set of questionnaires was adopted from Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to assess the level of household food insecurity, and a modified poisson regression model was used to identify the risk factors of household food insecurity. A staggering 62% of the surveyed households were found food insecure following the flash flood. Being ultra-poor, loss of livestock in flood, household head's occupation being natural resource-based, and household reliance on market purchase of food were identified as significant risk factors of post-flood household food insecurity. Household being headed by relatively younger, educated people, and household owning agricultural land were found to be protective against post-flood food insecurity. Therefore, post-flood emergency programs, especially the food assistance programs should be designed prioritizing these most food insecure groups instead of considering household poverty as the only selection criteria. As a long-term plan, a multi-sectoral approach focusing on disaster risk reduction by taking into account the risk of disaster-induced food insecurity is essential to reduce the vulnerability of wetland communities.
Diagnostic study of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) in Bangladesh: Current structure, output, and analytical capacity (human and logistical)
Dorosh, Paul A.; Ali, Shawkat; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Mustafa, Shoumi. Washington, DC 2021
Dorosh, Paul A.; Ali, Shawkat; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Mustafa, Shoumi. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134536
Abstract | View
For almost fifty years, the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food has played a role in policy analysis and planning related to the Public Foodgrain Distribution System (PFDS) and food policy in Bangladesh. Supported by a series of major donor-funded technical sup-port projects, this small unit has had major positive impacts on food policy reforms, as well as policy decisions on timing of PFDS imports, domestic procurement and distribution. And in the last dec-ade, the FPMU has played a lead role in formulation and monitoring of Country Investment Plans for Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition. Thus, the FPMU provides support not only to the Ministry of Food, but nine other ministries, as well.
This expanded mandate and the increased complexity of food and nutrition policy in Bangladesh suggest the need for an in-depth examination of the FPMU’s structure and performance. This diag-nostic study, based on a review of documents, interviews of FPMU staff and other government offi-cials, stakeholder consultations and synthesis of findings, assesses the organizational structure, management, technical performance (data management and direct support to food policy implemen-tation) and capacity strengthening needs to provide insights on how to further enhance the FPMU’s effectiveness.
This expanded mandate and the increased complexity of food and nutrition policy in Bangladesh suggest the need for an in-depth examination of the FPMU’s structure and performance. This diag-nostic study, based on a review of documents, interviews of FPMU staff and other government offi-cials, stakeholder consultations and synthesis of findings, assesses the organizational structure, management, technical performance (data management and direct support to food policy implemen-tation) and capacity strengthening needs to provide insights on how to further enhance the FPMU’s effectiveness.
Evaluating food policy options in Bangladesh: Analysis of costs, benefits, and tradeoffs between targeted distribution versus public agricultural and infrastructure investments
Dorosh, Paul A.; Thurlow, James; Pradesha, Angga; Raihan, Selim. Washington, DC 2021
Dorosh, Paul A.; Thurlow, James; Pradesha, Angga; Raihan, Selim. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134537
Abstract | View
Bangladesh has successfully improved national food security over the last two decades, primarily by increasing rice production and consumption. However, the country’s food system remains vulnerable to periodic floods and droughts that seriously affect agricultural production and prices. While food imports can cushion the effects of these short-term climate shocks, there is always uncertainty about whether shortages in global commodity markets will coincide with domestic production shortfalls, leading to particularly adverse outcomes, especially for poor farmers and net consumers. This is one of the reasons why Bangladesh’s government has maintained a long-standing public grain procurement and storage system, as well as a large social protection program that distributes subsidized rice and wheat to poor households. These programs, together with investments in farm productivity, have enhanced the resilience of Bangladesh’s food system to climate and world market shocks. Heightened climate variability in recent years has also led the government to increase stocks and make substantial new investments to expand public grain storage capacity.
Private sector rice stocks in Bangladesh: Estimates from the Bangladesh Millers’ and Traders’ Survey (MATS) 2018
Dorosh, Paul A.; Minot, Nicholas; Kabir, Razin; Hossain, Shahadat. Washington, DC 2021
Dorosh, Paul A.; Minot, Nicholas; Kabir, Razin; Hossain, Shahadat. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134538
Abstract | View
Bangladesh has a complex rice value chain consisting of farmers, upstream paddy wholesalers and intermediaries, millers, and downstream rice traders, wholesalers and retailers. Each of these actors serve distinct functions and have lines of trade that affect their stock turnover in different ways. There is a lack of complete information on the volume of rice traded and stored by the private sec-tor. This leads to difficulties in the timeliness of requisite policy actions on the part of the govern-ment. When rice prices spike, the typical response has been to lay the blame at the feet of millers and traders. For the government, it is important to have a general picture of the level of private stocks in a given year to ensure appropriate adjustments in procurement, distribution and import de-cisions can be made to meet their food security and price stabilization objectives.
Rice price stabilization in Bangladesh: Assessing the impact of public farm-gate and consumer price stabilization policy instruments on the overall grain market and developing policy orientations with a greater role for the private sector
Minot, Nicholas; Hossain, Shahadat; Kabir, Razin; Dorosh, Paul A.; Rashid, Shahidur. Washington, DC 2021
Minot, Nicholas; Hossain, Shahadat; Kabir, Razin; Dorosh, Paul A.; Rashid, Shahidur. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134539
Abstract | View
Price instability is a fact of life. In a market economy, domestic prices change in response to changes in supply, consumer preferences, policy, world prices, and other factors. Crop prices tend to be particularly volatile because harvests occur only once or a few times per year and because the size of the harvest varies due to weather, prices, and other factors. For internationally-traded commodities, volatility in world prices can be another source of instability in domestic prices.
Optimal stocks for public foodgrain storage in Bangladesh: An assessment of required storage volumes and corresponding investment needs
Dorosh, Paul A.. Washington, DC 2021
Dorosh, Paul A.. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134541
Abstract | View
National and household food security in Bangladesh have been greatly enhanced over the past two decades by policies that have allowed a major public foodgrain distribution and relatively large pub-lic stocks to co-exist with private sector trade. Yet, this system has also undergone substantial changes as the structure of the Bangladesh food economy has been transformed in response to growing household incomes, shifts in production and consumption, and changes in international markets.
Public sector foodgrain storage losses in Bangladesh: An assessment of current losses and the identification of solutions to reduce them
Rashid, Shahidur; Kabir, Razin. Washington, DC 2021
Rashid, Shahidur; Kabir, Razin. Washington, DC 2021
DOI : 10.2499/p15738coll2.134542
Abstract | View
Bangladesh has a long history of catering to the consumption needs of its population through public distribution of food-grains—rice and wheat—stored across an extensive network of warehouses all over the country. This network has its roots in the Bengal famine, but now performs a variety of functions ranging from price support to providing a safety net against crises. However, the storage infrastructure is old, with many warehouses having originated some sixty years ago. The food security situation in Bangladesh has also improved remarkably from the time when this warehousing network was established. Finally, there have been remarkable improve-ments in both technology and management of grain storage that have increased overall efficiency.
Rural women’s empowerment in nutrition: A framework linking food, health and institutions
Narayanan, Sudha; Lentz, Erin; Fontana, Marzia; Kulkarni, Bharati. 2022
Narayanan, Sudha; Lentz, Erin; Fontana, Marzia; Kulkarni, Bharati. 2022
DOI : 10.1080/00220388.2021.1961746
Social dimensions of Weather Index Insurance in reaching marginal stakeholders: Lessons from Asia and Africa: Webinar summary report
Aheeyar, Mohamed; de Silva, Sanjiv; Barua, Anamika. Colombo, Sri Lanka 2021
Aheeyar, Mohamed; de Silva, Sanjiv; Barua, Anamika. Colombo, Sri Lanka 2021
Abstract | View
Climate change will have an impact on natural resources, water being one of them, affecting the availability of water including increasing the intensity of floods and droughts. It is also a known fact that the impact of natural hazards is felt more in developing countries compared to developed countries and especially by vulnerable and marginalised groups within communities. Such groups are more at risk due to their greater exposure (e.g. cultivation on low-lying land) and poor capacity to adapt (e.g. less access to irrigation and financial assets- poor literacy and agency) and hence lower resilience. This is compounded by the fact that financial support from the government is not readily available in many developing countries for all losses.
Gender differences in awareness and adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices in Bangladesh
Bryan, Elizabeth; Kato, Edward; Bernier, Quinn. 2021
Bryan, Elizabeth; Kato, Edward; Bernier, Quinn. 2021
Abstract | View
This paper analyzes gender differences in awareness and adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices using data from a survey administered to men and women within the same households in southwestern Bangladesh. Access to sources of agricultural and climate information is low for both men and women, and women have particularly low access to key information sources. As a result of limited access to information sources and different roles in agriculture, women also tend to be less aware of practices for CSA. Gender gaps in adoption are smaller among those who are aware of CSA practices. Moreover, women are more likely than men to adopt some practices, particularly those related to their gendered roles, such as improved livestock feeding practices and grain storage when they are aware of the practices. Other factors, besides lack of awareness, also emerge as important determinants of adoption, including household wealth, as measured by size of landholdings, labor availability, access to credit, experience with climate shocks, and perceptions of future climate risk. The results suggest that greater efforts to reach both men and women with information on CSA would increase awareness and adoption of climate-smart practices.
Virtual migration through online freelancing: Evidence from Bangladesh
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Shonchoy, Abu; Meki, Muhammad; Quinn, Simon. Oxford, UK 2021
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Shonchoy, Abu; Meki, Muhammad; Quinn, Simon. Oxford, UK 2021
DOI : 10.35489/BSG-DP-WP_2021/03
Abstract | View
Youth unemployment is a major issue in many developing countries, particularly in locations not well connected with large urban markets. A limited number of available job opportunities in urban centres may reduce the benefit of policies that encourage rural–urban migration.
In this project, we investigated the feasibility of ‘virtual migration’ by training rural youth in Bangladesh to become online freelancers, enabling them to export their labour services to a global online marketplace. We did this by setting up a ‘freelancing incubator’, which provided the necessary workspace and infrastructure – specifically, high-speed internet connectivity and computers. Close mentoring was also provided to participants to assist in navigating the competitive online marketplace.
We show the exciting potential of online work for improving the incomes of poor youth in developing countries. We also highlight the constraints to this type of work: financing constraints for the high training cost, access to the necessary work infrastructure, and soft skills requirements to succeed in the market.
We also shed light on some promising possibilities for innovative financial contracts and for ‘freelancing incubators’ or ‘virtual exporting companies’ to assist students in their sourcing of work and skills development.
In this project, we investigated the feasibility of ‘virtual migration’ by training rural youth in Bangladesh to become online freelancers, enabling them to export their labour services to a global online marketplace. We did this by setting up a ‘freelancing incubator’, which provided the necessary workspace and infrastructure – specifically, high-speed internet connectivity and computers. Close mentoring was also provided to participants to assist in navigating the competitive online marketplace.
We show the exciting potential of online work for improving the incomes of poor youth in developing countries. We also highlight the constraints to this type of work: financing constraints for the high training cost, access to the necessary work infrastructure, and soft skills requirements to succeed in the market.
We also shed light on some promising possibilities for innovative financial contracts and for ‘freelancing incubators’ or ‘virtual exporting companies’ to assist students in their sourcing of work and skills development.
Women’s empowerment and gender equality in South Asian agriculture: Measuring progress using the project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI) in Bangladesh and India
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; Malapit, Hazel J.. 2022
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Meinzen-Dick, Ruth Suseela; Malapit, Hazel J.. 2022
DOI : 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105396
Designing for empowerment impact in agricultural development projects: Experimental evidence from the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL) project in Bangladesh
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Pereira, Audrey; Roy, Shalini. 2021
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Pereira, Audrey; Roy, Shalini. 2021
DOI : 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105622
Abstract | View
The importance of women’s roles for nutrition-sensitive agricultural projects is increasingly recognized, yet little is known about whether such projects improve women’s empowerment and gender equality. We study the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages (ANGeL) pilot project, which was implemented as a cluster-randomized controlled trial by the Government of Bangladesh. The project’s treatment arms included agricultural training, nutrition behavior change communication (BCC), and gender sensitization trainings delivered to husbands and wives together – with these components combined additively, such that the impact of gender sensitization could be distinguished from that of agriculture and nutrition trainings. Empowerment was measured using the internationally-validated project-level Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (pro-WEAI), and attitudes regarding gender roles were elicited from both men and women, to explore potentially gender-transformative impacts. Our study finds that ANGeL increased both women’s and men’s empowerment, raised the prevalence of households achieving gender parity, and led to small improvements in the gender attitudes of both women and men. We find significant increases in women’s empowerment scores and empowerment status from all treatment arms but with no significant differences across these. We find no evidence of unintended impacts on workloads and inconclusive evidence around impacts on intimate partner violence. Our results also suggest some potential benefits of bundling nutrition and gender components with an agricultural development intervention; however, many of these benefits seem to be driven by bundling nutrition with agriculture. While we cannot assess the extent to which including men and women within the same treatment arms contributed to our results, it is plausible that the positive impacts of all treatment arms on women’s empowerment outcomes may have arisen from implementation modalities that provided information to both husbands and wives when they were together. The role of engaging men and women jointly in interventions is a promising area for future research.
Provision and utilisation of health and nutrition services during COVID-19 pandemic in urban Bangladesh
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Pant, Anjali; Tran, Lan Mai; Kachwaha, Shivani; Menon, Purnima. 2021
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Pant, Anjali; Tran, Lan Mai; Kachwaha, Shivani; Menon, Purnima. 2021
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13218
Abstract | View
The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have profound effects on healthcare systems, but little evidence exists on service provision, utilisation, or adaptations. This study aimed to (1) examine the changes to health and nutrition service delivery and utilisation in urban Bangladesh during and after enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions and (2) identify adaptations and potential solutions to strengthen delivery and uptake. We conducted longitudinal surveys with health care providers (n = 45), pregnant women (n = 40), and mothers of children <2 years (n = 387) in February 2020 (in-person) and September 2020 (by phone). We used Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests to compare the changes before and during the pandemic. Services delivery for women and children which require proximity were severely affected; weight and height measurements fell by 20–29 percentage points (pp) for pregnant women and 37–57 pp for children, and child immunisations fell by 38 pp. Declines in service utilisation were large, including drops in facility visitations (35 pp among pregnant women and 67 pp among mothers), health and nutrition counselling (up to 73 pp), child weight measurements (50 pp), and immunisations (61 pp). The primary method of adaptation was provision of services over phone (37% for antenatal care services, 44%–49% for counselling). Despite adaptations to service provision, continued availability of routine maternal and child health services did not translate into service utilisation. Further investments are needed to provide timely and accurate information on COVID-19 to the general public, improve COVID-19 training and provide incentives for health care providers and ensure availability of personal protective equipment for providers and beneficiaries.
Characteristics of distinct dietary patterns in rural Bangladesh: Nutrient adequacy and vulnerability to shocks
Ali, Zakari; Scheelbeek, Pauline F. D.; Sanin, Kazi Istiaque; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Prentice, Andrew M.; Green, Rosemary. 2021
Ali, Zakari; Scheelbeek, Pauline F. D.; Sanin, Kazi Istiaque; Thomas, Timothy S.; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Prentice, Andrew M.; Green, Rosemary. 2021
DOI : 10.3390/nu13062049
Abstract | View
Food security in Bangladesh has improved in recent years, but the country is now facing a double burden of malnutrition while also being highly vulnerable to climate change. Little is known about how this may affect food supply to different sectors of the population. To inform this, we used a national dietary survey of 800 rural households to define dietary patterns using latent class analysis. Nutrient adequacy of dietary patterns and their potential vulnerability to climate shocks (based on diversity of calorie sources) were assessed. We fitted mixed effects logistic regression models to identify factors associated with dietary patterns. Four dietary patterns were identified: rice and low diversity; wheat and high diversity; pulses and vegetables; meat and fish. The wheat and high diversity and meat and fish patterns tended to be consumed by households with higher levels of wealth and education, while the rice and low diversity pattern was consumed by households with lower levels of wealth and education. The pulses and vegetables pattern was consumed by households of intermediate socio-economic status. While energy intake was high, fat and protein intake were suboptimal for all patterns except for the wheat and high diversity pattern. All patterns had fruit and vegetable intake below the WHO recommendation. The wheat and high diversity pattern was least vulnerable to shocks, while the rice and low diversity pattern was the most vulnerable, relying mainly on single cereal staples. The diets showed “double vulnerability” where the nutrient inadequate patterns were also those most vulnerable to shocks.
Provision and utilization of health and nutrition services during the COVID-19 pandemic in urban Bangladesh
Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Pant, Anjali; Tran, Lan Mai; Kachwaha, Shivani; Menon, Purnima. 2021
Sununtnasuk, Celeste; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Pant, Anjali; Tran, Lan Mai; Kachwaha, Shivani; Menon, Purnima. 2021
DOI : 10.1093/cdn/nzab045_072
Abstract | View
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have extensive effects on healthcare systems. The Government of Bangladesh has concerns about diminished coverage and quality of maternal and child health services, but little published information exists on service provision, utilization, and adaptations. We examined changes to maternal and child health and nutrition service delivery and utilization in urban Bangladesh during and after the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions and identified adaptations and potential solutions to strengthen service delivery and uptake.
Methods: We conducted longitudinal surveys with health care providers (n = 45), pregnant women (n = 40), and mothers of children < 2 years (n = 387) in February 2020 (in-person) and September 2020 (by phone). We used Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests to compare the changes before and during the pandemic. Results: Most services for pregnant women remained available during COVID-19 restrictions, with the provision of antenatal care (ANC) services falling by 6.6 percentage points (pp). Services for women and children which require proximity, however, were more severely affected; weight and height measurements fell by 20–29pp for pregnant women and 37–57pp for children, and child immunizations fell by 38pp. Declines in service utilization were large, including drops in facility visitations (35pp among pregnant women and 67pp among mothers), health and nutrition counseling (up to 73pp), child weight measurements (50pp), and immunizations (61pp). The primary method of adaptation was provision of services over phone (37% for ANC services and 44–49% for counselling of pregnant women or mothers with young children). Conclusions: Despite adaptations to service provisions, continued availability of routine maternal and child health services did not translate into service utilization. Further investments are needed to provide timely and accurate information on COVID-19 to the public, improve COVID-19 training and provide incentives for health care providers, and ensure availability of personal protective equipment for both providers and beneficiaries.
Methods: We conducted longitudinal surveys with health care providers (n = 45), pregnant women (n = 40), and mothers of children < 2 years (n = 387) in February 2020 (in-person) and September 2020 (by phone). We used Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests to compare the changes before and during the pandemic. Results: Most services for pregnant women remained available during COVID-19 restrictions, with the provision of antenatal care (ANC) services falling by 6.6 percentage points (pp). Services for women and children which require proximity, however, were more severely affected; weight and height measurements fell by 20–29pp for pregnant women and 37–57pp for children, and child immunizations fell by 38pp. Declines in service utilization were large, including drops in facility visitations (35pp among pregnant women and 67pp among mothers), health and nutrition counseling (up to 73pp), child weight measurements (50pp), and immunizations (61pp). The primary method of adaptation was provision of services over phone (37% for ANC services and 44–49% for counselling of pregnant women or mothers with young children). Conclusions: Despite adaptations to service provisions, continued availability of routine maternal and child health services did not translate into service utilization. Further investments are needed to provide timely and accurate information on COVID-19 to the public, improve COVID-19 training and provide incentives for health care providers, and ensure availability of personal protective equipment for both providers and beneficiaries.
Balancing food security and environmental sustainability by optimizing seasonal-spatial crop production in Bangladesh
Li, Man; Guo, Zhe; Zhang, Wei. 2021
Li, Man; Guo, Zhe; Zhang, Wei. 2021
DOI : 10.1088/1748-9326/ac0be4
Abstract | View
The intensification of crop production has been identified as one of the major drivers of environmental degradation. While significant advances could still be made with more widespread adoption of sustainable intensification technologies that address the agronomic efficiency of nitrogen fertilizers, the dynamic use of agricultural land across seasons and associated crop-specific responses to fertilizer applications has so far been largely overlooked. This paper explores the potential for improving the economic-environmental performance of crop production through spatially integrated modeling and optimization, as applied to Bangladesh. Results show that per-billion-Taka nitrogen loss from soil would decline by 83% from the baseline level through factoring in crop-specific, seasonal and spatial variations in crop nitrogen-use efficiency and nitrogen transport. The approach should complement other policy analysis and decision-support tools to assess alternative options for maximizing the positive outcomes of nitrogen fertilizers with regard to farm income and food security, while maintaining environmental sustainability.
A snapshot of coal-fired power generation in Bangladesh: A demand–supply outlook
Islam, Aminul; Ahmed, Mohammad Tofayal; Mondal, Md. Hossain Alam; Awual, Md. Rabiul; Monir, Minhaj Uddin; Islam, Kamrul. 2021
Islam, Aminul; Ahmed, Mohammad Tofayal; Mondal, Md. Hossain Alam; Awual, Md. Rabiul; Monir, Minhaj Uddin; Islam, Kamrul. 2021
DOI : 10.1111/1477-8947.12221
Both quantity and quality of antenatal care matter for child birthweight: An analysis of nationally representative data From Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan
Neupene, Sumanta; Scott, Samuel; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Menon, Purnima. 2021
Neupene, Sumanta; Scott, Samuel; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Menon, Purnima. 2021
DOI : 10.1093/cdn/nzab046_091
Abstract | View
Antenatal care (ANC) is an important platform to deliver health and nutrition interventions during pregnancy but there is limited evidence on how both the number and content of ANC visits relate to birth outcomes. We examined the independent and additive contributions of ANC quantity and quality on child birthweight in four South Asian countries.
Adolescent birth and child undernutrition: An analysis of demographic and health surveys in Bangladesh, 1996–2017
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Scott, Samuel; Khuong, Long Quynh; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Ahmed, Akhter; Rashid, Sabina Faiz; Afsana, Kaosar; Menon, Purnima. 2021
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Scott, Samuel; Khuong, Long Quynh; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Ahmed, Akhter; Rashid, Sabina Faiz; Afsana, Kaosar; Menon, Purnima. 2021
DOI : 10.1111/nyas.14608
Abstract | View
Adolescent birth is a major global concern owing to its adverse effects on maternal and child health. We assessed trends in adolescent birth and examined its associations with child undernutrition in Bangladesh using data from seven rounds of Demographic and Health Surveys (1996–2017, n = 12,006 primiparous women with living children <5 years old). Adolescent birth (10–19 years old) declined slowly, from 84% in 1996 to 71% in 2017. Compared with adult mothers (≥20 years old), young adolescent mothers (10–15 years old) were more likely to be underweight (+11 pp), have lower education (−24 pp), have less decision-making power (−10 pp), live in poorer households (−0.9 SD) with poorer sanitation (−15 pp), and have poorer feeding practices (10 pp), and were less likely to access health and nutrition services (−3 to −24 pp). In multivariable regressions controlled for known determinants of child undernutrition, children born to adolescents had lower height-for-age Z-scores (−0.29 SD for young and −0.10 SD for old adolescents (16–19 years old)), weight-for-age Z-score (−0.18 and −0.06 SD, respectively) as well as higher stunting (5.9 pp) and underweight (6.0 pp) than those born to adults. In conclusion, birth during adolescence, a common occurrence in Bangladesh, is associated with child undernutrition. Policies and programs to address poverty and improve women's education can help delay marriage, reduce early childbearing, and improve child growth.
Skin in the game: Microequity and mentorship for online freelancing-based microentrepreneurs in Bangladesh
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Meki, Muhammad; Quinn, Simon; Shonchoy, Abu. 2021
Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Meki, Muhammad; Quinn, Simon; Shonchoy, Abu. 2021
Abstract | View
In this pilot project, we demonstrate the exciting potential of online freelancing for improving the incomes of poor youth in rural Bangladesh. We also highlight the constraints to this type of work: financing constraints for the high training cost, access to the necessary work infrastructure, and soft skills requirements to success in the market. We shed light on some promising possibilities for innovative financing contracts and for ‘virtual exporting companies’ to act as freelancing incubators and assist students in their development.
Moving out of agriculture in Bangladesh: The role of farm, non-farm and mixed households
Sen, Binayak; Dorosh, Paul A.; Ahmed, Mansur. 2021
Sen, Binayak; Dorosh, Paul A.; Ahmed, Mansur. 2021
DOI : 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105479
Abstract | View
This paper explores patterns of exit from agriculture in rural Bangladesh by utilizing nationally representative repeat cross-section and pseudo-panel survey data. Our analysis focuses at the rural household level where we focus on three types of households: (a) “pure” agriculture households in which all workers are employed only in agriculture; (b) “mixed” households in which some members remain in the farm sector and others pursue nonfarm activities, and (c) rural “nonfarm” households who are exclusively dependent on non-agricultural employment.
We find that non-farm orientation has increased over the 2000 to 2013 period, and that nonfarm households rely more on salaried employment and less on unpaid work. Pseudo-panel data based on age-cohort of household heads from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) of 2000 and 2013 also shows a notable increase in mixed households formed by diversification of activities of formerly farm-only households. Employment patterns of younger households are changing especially rapidly: the share of mixed households among households with heads age 15–30 years increased from 17% to 30% in this period. Proximity to urban areas also is associated with a rapid shift in household employment patterns over time. In areas less than 2.5 kms from cities, the share of pure farm households fell from 46.5 to 30.3 percent of households, while the share of mixed households rose from 14.8 to 33.7 percent.
Overall, our findings confirm a process of transformation involving a shift from predominantly agriculture employment to increased non-farm employment. We find that the structural transformation considered does not necessarily involve large-scale permanent migration to cities. Rather, much of the shift out of agriculture occurs within rural areas with especially rapid change happening in areas of close proximity to cities.
We find that non-farm orientation has increased over the 2000 to 2013 period, and that nonfarm households rely more on salaried employment and less on unpaid work. Pseudo-panel data based on age-cohort of household heads from the Labor Force Survey (LFS) of 2000 and 2013 also shows a notable increase in mixed households formed by diversification of activities of formerly farm-only households. Employment patterns of younger households are changing especially rapidly: the share of mixed households among households with heads age 15–30 years increased from 17% to 30% in this period. Proximity to urban areas also is associated with a rapid shift in household employment patterns over time. In areas less than 2.5 kms from cities, the share of pure farm households fell from 46.5 to 30.3 percent of households, while the share of mixed households rose from 14.8 to 33.7 percent.
Overall, our findings confirm a process of transformation involving a shift from predominantly agriculture employment to increased non-farm employment. We find that the structural transformation considered does not necessarily involve large-scale permanent migration to cities. Rather, much of the shift out of agriculture occurs within rural areas with especially rapid change happening in areas of close proximity to cities.
Migration, labor and women’s empowerment: Evidence from an agricultural value chain in Bangladesh
de Brauw, Alan; Kramer, Berber; Murphy, Mike. 2021
de Brauw, Alan; Kramer, Berber; Murphy, Mike. 2021
DOI : 10.1016/j.worlddev.2021.105445
Abstract | View
As a substantial portion of the rural labor force migrates to urban areas, it is commonly assumed that women could take over traditionally male tasks in agricultural production, with potentially empowering outcomes for women. We study how changes in the supply of labor may influence female labor participation and empowerment outcomes. Using a detailed panel dataset on jute producers in the delta region of Bangladesh, we test whether out-migration of household members and perceived labor shortages are associated with the share of household and hired labor performed by women, and women’s empowerment. When a household experiences reduced household or hired labor supply, we observe a relatively larger use of female household labor, but a reduced share of female hired labor. We also find that reduced labor supply is not associated with significant reductions in gender wage gaps, or enhanced women’s empowerment. These findings suggest that given existing gender norms, male and female labor are not perfect substitutes for one another, and as a result, male outmigration is not associated with improved outcomes for women in cash crop production in the short run. Our results demonstrate a need for better understanding of the role of gender in rural labor markets, particularly in contexts of rapid urbanization.
Factor structure and equivalence of maternal resources for care in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Ethiopia
Basnet, Sulochana; Frongillo, Edward A.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Moore, Spencer; Arabi, Mandana. 2021
Basnet, Sulochana; Frongillo, Edward A.; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Moore, Spencer; Arabi, Mandana. 2021
DOI : 10.1007/s10995-020-03100-4
Migration towards Bangladesh coastlines projected to increase with sea-level rise through 2100
Bell, Andrew Reid; Wrathall, David J.; Mueller, Valerie; Chen, Joyce; Oppenheimer, Michael. 2021
Bell, Andrew Reid; Wrathall, David J.; Mueller, Valerie; Chen, Joyce; Oppenheimer, Michael. 2021
DOI : 10.1088/1748-9326/abdc5b
Abstract | View
To date, projections of human migration induced by sea-level change (SLC) largely suggest large-scale displacement away from vulnerable coastlines. However, results from our model of Bangladesh suggest counterintuitively that people will continue to migrate toward the vulnerable coastline irrespective of the flooding amplified by future SLC under all emissions scenarios until the end of this century. We developed an empirically calibrated agent-based model of household migration decision-making that captures the multi-faceted push, pull and mooring influences on migration at a household scale. We then exposed ~4,800,000 simulated migrants to 871 scenarios of projected 21st-century coastal flooding under future emissions pathways. Our model does not predict flooding impacts great enough to drive populations away from coastlines in any of the scenarios. One reason is that while flooding does accelerate a transition from agricultural to non-agricultural income opportunities, livelihood alternatives are most abundant in coastal cities. At the same time, some coastal populations are unable to migrate, as flood losses accumulate and reduce the set of livelihood alternatives (so-called "trapped" populations). However, even when we increased access to credit, a commonly-proposed policy lever for incentivizing migration in the face of climate risk, we found that the number of immobile agents actually rose. These findings imply that instead of a straightforward relationship between displacement and migration, projections need to consider the multiple constraints on, and preferences for, mobility. Our model demonstrates that decision-makers seeking to affect migration outcomes around SLC would do well to consider individual-level adaptive behaviors and motivations that evolve through time, as well as the potential for unintended behavioral responses.
Effective coverage of nutrition interventions across the continuum of care in Bangladesh: Insights from nationwide cross-sectional household and health facility surveys
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Khương, Long Quỳnh; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Billah, Sk Masum; Menon, Purnima; Piwoz, Ellen; Leslie, Hannah H.. 2021
Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Khương, Long Quỳnh; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Billah, Sk Masum; Menon, Purnima; Piwoz, Ellen; Leslie, Hannah H.. 2021
DOI : 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040109
Abstract | View
Improving the impact of nutrition interventions requires adequate measurement of both reach and quality of interventions, but limited evidence exists on advancing coverage measurement. We adjusted contact-based coverage estimates, taking into consideration the inputs required to deliver quality nutrition services, to calculate input-adjusted coverage of nutrition interventions across the continuum of care from pregnancy through early childhood in Bangladesh.
Public food transfers during pandemic: Insights from an IFPRI survey in Bangladesh
Chowdhury, Shyamal K.; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Rashid, Shahidur. 2020
Chowdhury, Shyamal K.; Bin Khaled, Muhammad Nahian; Raghunathan, Kalyani; Rashid, Shahidur. 2020
Abstract | View
Public food transfer programmes act as a lifeline for many poor households that might otherwise live with constant food insecurity and the threat of hunger. Such programmes are important for the poor and vulnerable in low-income countries such as Bangladesh, but also in high-income countries such as the USA. In the USA in 2019 alone, more than 35 million individuals received food assistance from its largest anti-hunger transfer programme -- the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps. In the 2019-20 financial year, in Bangladesh, the Khaddo Bandhob Karmasuchi (Food Friendly Programme, FFP), a similar programme that offers subsidised rice during the lean season twice a year, reached about 5 million households (equivalent to 27.5 million people) at a cost of more than BDT 32.0 billion (source: Directorate General of Food). FFP is the country's largest anti-hunger programme in terms of outreach, and since rice is the main staple providing about 60 per cent of average calorie intake for the poor, the programme is immensely important in ensuring that the poor are able to meet their basic caloric requirements.
Contract farming and farm performance: Evidence from brinjal cultivation in Bangladesh
Kumar, Anjani; Tripathi, Gaurav; Roy, Devesh; Islam, Abu Hayat Md. Saiful. Abingdon, Oxford, UK 2021
Kumar, Anjani; Tripathi, Gaurav; Roy, Devesh; Islam, Abu Hayat Md. Saiful. Abingdon, Oxford, UK 2021
Formal versus informal milk value chains in Bangladesh: Trade-offs between price and food safety
Kumar, Anjani; Sonkar, Vinay Kumar; Saroj, Sunil. Abingdon, Oxford, UK 2021
Kumar, Anjani; Sonkar, Vinay Kumar; Saroj, Sunil. Abingdon, Oxford, UK 2021
Development of balanced nutrient management innovations in South Asia: Perspectives from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
Kishore, Avinash; Alvi, Muzna; Krupnik, Timothy J.. 2021
Kishore, Avinash; Alvi, Muzna; Krupnik, Timothy J.. 2021
DOI : 10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100464
Abstract | View
Imbalanced application of fertilizers is a major fiscal and environmental problem in South Asia. We review fertilizer policies and extension efforts to promote the balanced application of nutrients in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and draw 4 important lessons. (1) Fertilizer sector reforms need to be fiscally sustainable and politically feasible. Governments in South Asia have abolished fertilizer subsidies on multiple occasions, only to restore them a few years later. (2) The use of phosphate and potash did not decline much even after a sharp increase in their prices in India in 2011–12. Therefore, rationalizing subsidies, while necessary, may not be sufficient to ensure balanced use of fertilizers. Changing farmers' practice requires combining the right incentives with the right information. (3) Soil test based soil health cards (SHC) hold promise, but there is limited evidence on their utility. India's SHC program had very little impact on fertilizer use. (4) Direct cash transfer (DCT) of fertilizer subsidies can reduce distortions, but Sri Lanka's experience shows that implementing it is more challenging than universal subsidies. DCT requires the removal of price controls, integration of land records farmer identity cards, a cash transfer system with universal coverage, and a competitive fertilizer retail sector.
Do tradeoffs among dimensions of women’s empowerment and nutrition outcomes exist? Evidence from six countries in Africa and Asia
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Sproule, Kathryn; Martinez, Elena M.; Malapit, Hazel Jean L.. 2021
Quisumbing, Agnes R.; Sproule, Kathryn; Martinez, Elena M.; Malapit, Hazel Jean L.. 2021
DOI : 10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.102001
Abstract | View
Although women’s empowerment and gender equality are often linked with better maternal and child nutrition outcomes, recent systematic reviews find inconclusive evidence. This paper applies a comparable methodology to data on the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), an internationally-validated measure based on interviews of women and men within the same household, from six countries in Africa and Asia to identify which dimensions of women’s empowerment are related to household-, woman-, and child-level dietary and nutrition outcomes. We examine relationships between women’s empowerment and household-level dietary diversity; women’s dietary diversity and BMI; and child-related outcomes, controlling for woman, child, and household characteristics. We also test for differential associations of women’s empowerment with nutrition outcomes for boys and girls. We find few significant associations between the aggregate empowerment scores and nutritional outcomes. The women’s empowerment score is positively associated only with child HAZ, while lower intrahousehold inequality is associated with a higher likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding and higher HAZ but with lower BMI. However, analysis of the subdomain indicators finds more significant associations, suggesting that tradeoffs exist among different dimensions of empowerment. Women’s empowerment accounts for a small share of the variance in nutritional outcomes, with household wealth and country-level factors accounting for the largest share of the variation in household and women’s dietary diversity. In contrast, most of the variation in child outcomes comes from child age. Improving nutritional outcomes requires addressing the underlying determinants of poor nutrition in addition to empowering women and improving gender equality.
Early marriage and early childbearing in South Asia: Trends, inequalities, and drivers from 2005 to 2018
Scott, Samuel; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Neupane, Sumanta; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Nanda, Priya; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Afsana, Kaosar; Menon, Purnima. 2021
Scott, Samuel; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Neupane, Sumanta; Pramanik, Priyanjana; Nanda, Priya; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A.; Afsana, Kaosar; Menon, Purnima. 2021
DOI : 10.1111/nyas.14531
Abstract | View
Early marriage (EM) and early childbearing (ECB) have far‐reaching consequences. This study describes the prevalence, trends, inequalities, and drivers of EM and ECB in South Asia using eight rounds of Demographic and Health Survey data across 13 years. We report the percentage of ever‐married women aged 20–24 years (n = 105,150) married before 18 years (EM) and with a live birth before 20 years (ECB). Relative trends were examined using average annual rate of reduction (AARR). Inequalities were examined by geography, marital household wealth, residence, and education. Sociodemographic drivers of changes for EM were assessed using regression decomposition analyses. We find that EM/ECB are still common in Bangladesh (69%/69%), Nepal (52%/51%), India (41%/39%), and Pakistan (37%/38%), with large subnational variation in most countries. EM has declined fastest in India (AARR of –3.8%/year), Pakistan (–2.8%/year), and Bangladesh (–1.5%/year), but EM elimination by 2030 will not occur at these rates. Equity analyses show that poor, uneducated women in rural areas are disproportionately burdened. Regression decomposition analysis shows that improvements in wealth and education explained 44% (India) to 96% (Nepal) of the actual EM reduction. Investments across multiple sectors are required to understand and address EM and ECB, which are pervasive social determinants of maternal and child wellbeing.
Women’s empowerment and farmland allocations in Bangladesh: Evidence of a possible pathway to crop diversification
De Pinto, Alessandro; Seymour, Gregory; Bryan, Elizabeth; Bhandari, Prapti. 2020
De Pinto, Alessandro; Seymour, Gregory; Bryan, Elizabeth; Bhandari, Prapti. 2020
DOI : 10.1007/s10584-020-02925-w
Abstract | View
Climate change will likely affect several of the dimensions that determine people’s food security status in Bangladesh, from crop production to the availability and accessibility of food products. Crop diversification is a form of adaptation to climate change that reduces exposure to climate-related risks and has also been shown to increase diet diversity, reduce micronutrient deficiencies, and positively affect agro-ecological systems. Despite these benefits, the level of crop diversification in Bangladesh remains extremely low, requiring an examination of the factors that support uptake of this practice. This paper explores whether women’s empowerment, measured using the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI), leads to increased diversification in the use of farmland. Our results reveal that some aspects of women’s empowerment in agriculture, but not all, lead to more diversification and to a transition from cereal production to other crops like vegetables and fruits. These findings suggest a possible pathway for gender-sensitive interventions that promote crop diversity as a risk management tool and as a way to improve the availability of nutritious crops.
Empowered by absence: Does male out-migration empower female household heads left behind
Fakir, Adnan M. S.; Abedin, Naveen. 2021
Fakir, Adnan M. S.; Abedin, Naveen. 2021
DOI : 10.1007/s12134-019-00754-0
The impacts of GM foods: Results from a randomized controlled trial of Bt eggplant in Bangladesh
Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Abedin, Naveen; Hossain, Nusrat. 2021
Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Abedin, Naveen; Hossain, Nusrat. 2021
DOI : 10.1111/ajae.12162
Abstract | View
We implemented a cluster randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of genetically modified eggplant (Bt brinjal) in Bangladesh. Our two primary outcomes were changes in yield and in pesticide costs. Cultivation of Bt brinjal raises yields by 3,564 kg/ha. This statistically significant impact is equivalent to a 51% increase relative to the control group. There is a statistically significant fall in pesticide costs, 7,175 Taka per hectare (85 USD per ha), a 37.5% reduction. Yield increases arise because Bt farmers harvest more eggplant and because fewer fruits are discarded because they are damaged. Bt brinjal farmers sell more eggplant and receive a higher price for the output they sell while incurring lower input costs, resulting in a 128% increase in net revenues. Bt brinjal farmers used smaller quantities of pesticides and sprayed less frequently. Bt brinjal reduced the toxicity of pesticides as much as 76%. Farmers growing Bt brinjal and who had pre‐existing chronic conditions consistent with pesticide poisoning were 11.5% points less likely to report a symptom of pesticide poisoning and were less likely to incur cash medical expenses to treat these symptoms. Our results are robust to changes in model specification and adjustment for multiple hypothesis testing. We did not find evidence of heterogeneous effects by farmer age, schooling, or land cultivated. Bt brinjal is a publicly developed genetically modified organism that conveys significant productivity and income benefits while reducing the use of pesticides damaging to human and ecological health.
Intimate partner violence is associated with poorer maternal mental health and breastfeeding practices in Bangladesh
Tran, Lan Mai; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Naved, Ruchira Tabassum; Menon, Purnima. Oxford, UK 2020
Tran, Lan Mai; Nguyen, Phuong Hong; Naved, Ruchira Tabassum; Menon, Purnima. Oxford, UK 2020
DOI : 10.1093/heapol/czaa106
Abstract | View
Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) can have profound adverse consequences on maternal and child health. This study aimed to: (1) identify factors associated with IPV during pregnancy and postpartum in Bangladesh; and (2) assess the associations between IPV and maternal mental health and breastfeeding practices. We used data from a cross-sectional survey of 2000 mothers with children <6 months in four districts in Bangladesh. We applied multivariable logistic regression models to examine factors associated with IPV and structural equation modelling to assess the inter-relationships between IPV, maternal common mental disorders (CMD, measured by Self-reporting Questionnaire ≥7) and breastfeeding practices. Overall, 49.7% of mothers experienced violence during the last 12 months and 28% of mothers had high levels of CMD. Only 54% of women reported early initiation of breastfeeding and 64% reported exclusive breastfeeding. Women were more likely to experience IPV if living in food-insecure households, being of low socio-economic status, having low autonomy or experiencing inequality in education compared with husbands (OR ranged from 1.6 to 2.8). Women exposed to IPV were 2–2.3 times more likely to suffer from high levels of CMD and 28–34% less likely to breastfeed their babies exclusively. The indirect path (the indirect effects of IPV on breastfeeding through CMD) through maternal CMD accounted for 14% of the relationship between IPV on breastfeeding practice. In conclusion, IPV is pervasive in Bangladesh and is linked to increased risks of CMD and poor breastfeeding practices. Integrating effective interventions to mitigate IPV, along with routine maternal and child health services and involving men in counselling services, could help both to reduce exposure to IPV among women and to contribute to better health outcomes for women and children.
Second rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Dhaka, Bangladesh 2020
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Dhaka, Bangladesh 2020
DOI : 10.4060/cb1018en
Abstract | View
FAO Bangladesh coordinated this Second rapid assessment of food and nutrition security in the context of COVID-19 in Bangladesh to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses to it, on food and nutrition security in Bangladesh. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and WorldFish, made significant contributions to this combined assessment. The assessment was completed in 30 days, including information collection, report drafting, peer review and finalisation. FAO and CGIAR experts collected the information mostly through telephone interviews with government counterparts, private sector actors, producer associations and other key informants.
Assessing statistical similarity in dietary intakes of women of reproductive age in Bangladesh
Wable, Gargi; Dickin, Katherine; Kanbur, Ravi; Menon, Purnima; Rasmussen, Kathleen M.; Hoddinott, John F.. 2021
Wable, Gargi; Dickin, Katherine; Kanbur, Ravi; Menon, Purnima; Rasmussen, Kathleen M.; Hoddinott, John F.. 2021
DOI : 10.1111/mcn.13086
Abstract | View
Women of reproductive age (WRA) need adequate nutrient intakes to sustain a healthy pregnancy, support fetal growth, and breastfeed after childbirth. However, data on women's dietary intake in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) are limited, and assessment of differences between dietary intakes of pregnant or lactating women compared with that of nonpregnant, nonlactating (NPNL) women is untested. Using single, multiple‐pass 24‐h dietary recall data from a sample of WRA residing in rural Bangladesh, we examined women's dietary intakes for energy, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and dietary diversity for three groups: NPNL (n = 2,903), pregnant (n = 197), and lactating women (n = 944). We used equivalence testing to examine similarity in adjusted intakes for pregnant versus NPNL women and lactating versus NPNL women with a predetermined equivalence threshold based on recommendations specific for each reproductive stage. On average, both pregnant and lactating women had insufficient intakes for all dietary measures. Although statistically significant differences were observed between pregnant and NPNL women for energy intake and dietary diversity and between lactating and NPNL women for energy and protein intake, the magnitudes of these differences were too small to reject equivalence. Statistical similarity was also evident in all micronutrients and dietary diversity for both two‐group comparisons. Understanding statistical differences and similarities between dietary measures of women in distinct reproductive stages has important implications for the relevance, appropriateness, and evaluation of maternal diet‐enhancing interventions in LMICs, especially during pregnancy and lactation, when demand for macronutrients and micronutrients is elevated.
Refugees who mean business: Economic activities in and around the Rohingya settlements in Bangladesh
Filipski, Mateusz J.; Rosenbach, Gracie; Tiburcio, Ernesto; Dorosh, Paul A.; Hoddinott, John F.. 2021
Filipski, Mateusz J.; Rosenbach, Gracie; Tiburcio, Ernesto; Dorosh, Paul A.; Hoddinott, John F.. 2021
DOI : 10.1093/jrs/feaa059
Abstract | View
Refugee sites throughout the world are loci of economic activity, including small enterprises, but limited information exists on these. We advance knowledge by collecting and analysing data on 326 enterprises operating inside and outside Rohingya settlements in southeastern Bangladesh. We find the following: refugees have access to a diverse array of active businesses; Bangladeshis and Rohingya both operate businesses and the two communities interact through transactions in local goods, services, inputs, and labour markets; lending plays an important role in sustaining these economies, as approximately 50 per cent of transactions are on credit; Rohingya-run enterprises face greater challenges than their local counterparts: their businesses are smaller and less profitable, and refugee workers are paid lower wages than local workers; and about half of the difference in performance between Rohingya and Bangladeshis can be explained by levels of start-up capital, scale, location, and education.
Cash or food transfers paired with behavior change communication can reduce intimate partner violence even after transfers end
Roy, Shalini; Hidrobo, Melissa. 2017
Roy, Shalini; Hidrobo, Melissa. 2017
Abstract | View
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is widespread globally, with estimates showing that nearly 1 in 3 adult women worldwide have experienced some form of IPV. South Asia has among the highest regional rates in the world, with 41 percent prevalence of IPV. In Bangladesh, one survey found that 72.6 percent of married women reported experiencing violence at the hands of their husbands, and another showed that 74 percent of men reported inflicting violence on their wives. Violence against women in Bangladesh can be linked in part to strict observance of gender norms. Even though gender equality in the country has improved in some dimensions in recent decades, studies have found that patriarchal gender norms persist in much of rural Bangladesh. Purdah – the practice of female seclusion – is widely prevalent, and women’s movement outside the home continues to be restricted. Many women have little control over finances and limited social support, leading to reliance on their husbands and little bargaining power within their marriages.
Opinion: Measuring the unintended benefits of a development program
Ahmed, Akhter; Ahmed, Ishita; Hoddinott, John F.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Roy, Shalini. 2019
Ahmed, Akhter; Ahmed, Ishita; Hoddinott, John F.; Hidrobo, Melissa; Roy, Shalini. 2019
Measuring time use in developing country agriculture: Evidence from Bangladesh and Uganda
Seymour, Gregory; Malapit, Hazel J.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.. 2020
Seymour, Gregory; Malapit, Hazel J.; Quisumbing, Agnes R.. 2020
DOI : 10.1080/13545701.2020.1749867
Abstract | View
This paper discusses the challenges associated with implementing time-use surveys among agricultural households in developing countries and offers advice on best practices for two common measurement methods: stylized questions and time diaries. Using data from Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) surveys in Bangladesh and Uganda, it finds that stylized questions do not always produce shorter interviews compared to time diaries, and recall accuracy may depend on the regularity and saliency of the activity and enumerator abilities. The paper suggests that combining promising methodological innovations from other disciplines with mainstream time-use data collection methods would allow capture of both the quantity and quality of time and provide richer insights into gendered time-use patterns. Broadening the scope of time-use research to other aspects of well-being can help identify how time constraints contribute to gender inequality and inform the design of policies and interventions to relieve those constraints.
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