The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concludes the year with an insightful information meeting attended by resource partners, government stakeholders, UN agencies, and media representatives. The meeting aims to share progress and success of FAO Bangladesh office centered around FAO’s commitment to four key pillars: better production, better nutrition, better environment, better life, living no one behind.
Bangladesh and FAO have been working closely in developing the areas of agriculture, food, forestry, fisheries, livestock, rural development and climate change for over 45 years. Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is increasingly shifting its focus towards nutrition security and food exports.
Transforming agrifood systems
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 aims to support the 2030 Agenda by working together for transforming agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, addressing better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind. At the information meeting, the FAO experts provided information on various topics, some of which:
sustainably increasing productivity in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry; fostering inclusive and resilient agrifood systems in a changing climate and environment; increasing food security and community self-sufficiency; promoting healthy and safe food supply; improving food distribution and reducing food loss and waste; protecting and restoring terrestrial and marine ecosystems; increasing incomes of small-scale food producers; guiding government expenditures towards the agriculture sector; securing land tenure by promoting ownership or strengthened rights over agricultural land; gender equality development.
FAO Representative ad interim in Bangladesh said in his speech “As we work towards our goal, the better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind, we express our gratitude to our resource partners, government counterparts and colleagues for their continuous support.”
Some of the Progress and Achievements
- 5 projects implemented for innovation for sustainable agriculture production
- Strengthening rural aquaculture and empowering coastal fishing communities
- Bangladesh Animal Health Intelligence System (BAHIS) established nationwide
- Sustainable rabies control achieved through DGHS national mass dog vaccination programme
- Launch of the Dhaka Food Agenda 2041, foresight and scenarios of the main urban food system of the country
- 130 markets supported, 16 weekly farmers markets created, 6 500 urban agriculturalists trained and supported with inputs
- A farmers market has been constructed in Dhaka and linked safe vegetables and fruit production producers with the marker to encourage safe food production and marketing
- 8 nutrition-smart villages across 8 Divisions established
- 16 000 hectares of land under climate-resilient agriculture practices and technologies
- 32 000 farmers trained on climate-resilient agriculture through 800 farmer field schools
- 7 eco-friendly farming practices for sustainable coastal wetland management designed and implemented
- Bangladesh forest inventory institutionalized and 100 forest department staff trained
- Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) roadmap prepared to fast track the implementation of Paris Agreement in Bangladesh
- Flash flood anticipatory action trigger and protocol drafted for Haor region
- Strengthened the capacity of more than 100 government officials in the fisheries sector
- 89% of women’s loan applications to external financial institutions were approved by the lender
- Flood affected 33 000 farmers from 23 upazilas are being supported by seeds, fertilizers and other inputs in four districts – Rangamati, Bandarban, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazaar
- Anticipatory Action trigger developed and plans for the Haor region to reduce damage and loss due to flash flood
- Farmers in 44 upazilas under 6 districts supported with seeds with farming inputs
- Supported government of to prepare a Bangladesh action plan developed to control fall armyworm in line with global action plan
- Supported the government to prepare a strategic plan for agro-processing
