Agricultural technologies such as genetically modified crops have potential to advance agricultural development and food security, but the effects on farmer profits and consumer and producer health outcomes are not well understood. To help fill this knowledge gap, IFPRI designed an experimental study to evaluate the impacts of Bt eggplant.
From November 21—25, PRSSP researchers met with eggplant farmers, market traders, and regional government officials from the Department of Agricultural Extension and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute to learn more about eggplant cultivation in 4 districts in southern Bangladesh – Chuadanga, Jessore, Jhenaidah, and Magura.
“Both eggplant farmers and the government officials are enthusiastic to participate in a study that may provide evidence on how to raise farmer profits by using less pesticide,” IFPRI’s Senior Database Manager Aminul Islam Khandaker shared.
With consensus reached, IFPRI, in partnership with the Bangladesh government, Virginia Tech, and Cornell University, will start working in 5 districts in southern Bangladesh – Chuadanga, Jessore, Jhenaidah, Magura, and Meherpur –in early 2017. The study will be jointly funded by the Bangladesh government and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).