Bangladesh

Approach

Bangladesh has great potential for agriculture-led growth and food security. Rice production has tripled over the last 30 years. Extreme poverty fell from 59 percent in 2000 to 43 percent in 2010. 48 percent of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector and a large majority of the rural population is involved in fisheries.

However, Bangladesh remains the most densely populated country in the world, with 161 million people living in a land area roughly the size of Iowa. Poverty, lack of access to agricultural land, and poor eating habits contribute to the country having some of the highest rates of undernutrition and child stunting in the world.

More than 28 million people live in Feed the Future’s target regions in Bangladesh, where food security and nutrition face considerable challenges due to scarce water resources, a rising sea level, vulnerability to extreme shocks, and changing weather patterns. Population growth, urbanization and soil and natural resource depletion have led to degradation of Bangladesh’s land, water bodies, wetlands, and forests and pose a significant threat to its agriculture sector.

Gender-related factors further complicate food insecurity and undernutrition: Women are heavily engaged in agriculture but do not have access to extension services or other inputs like seeds and fertilizer. They are also often the last to eat at mealtimes. Nonetheless, Bangladesh is making progress. The under-five mortality rate has declined by more than 50 percent since 1993, and 88 percent of children under five years old receive vitamin A supplementation twice a year through government-led campaigns. Poverty and child stunting have dropped within Feed the Future target regions.

Consistent with the government of Bangladesh’s priorities, Feed the Future focuses on increasing rice production while helping farmers diversify into higher-value, nutrient-dense commodities such as horticulture and fish.

Activities