Farmers in many low- and middle-income countries face a major financial gap, with available resources often insufficient to enable them to increase production—and putting many higher-value products with the greatest potential to increase incomes out of reach. Yet banks and other formal financial institutions shy away from lending to smallholder farmers. There are several reasons […]
Nov 28: Upgrading aquaculture value chains through smallholder clusters: Reflections on emerging experience from Bangladesh
This session provides an opportunity to reflect on the potential of group-based interventions to facilitate upgrading by shrimp smallholders, and the challenges associated with doing so. Shrimp is Bangladesh’s main agricultural export and a substantial contributor to the economy of southern Bangladesh, but the sector has a checkered history; beset by struggles over land and […]
Can diverse farming systems enhance nutrition-sensitive agriculture?: Food and Agriculture Research Discussion Forum
Background On April 1, 2023, the Food and Agriculture Research Discussion Forum (FARDF) convened a meeting to discuss Jaya Jumrani's research, “Agricultural Production Diversity and Women's Nutrition: Evidence from Rural Bangladesh,” which analyzed data from IFPRI's Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS). Among other points, this research concluded that, while poverty reduction and rice production have improved, […]
Evaluating Microequity Models for Financing Livestock Fattening in Bangladesh
Can profit-sharing be the key to unlocking the potential of small-scale livestock farmers in Bangladesh? Researchers from IFPRI and the University of Oxford are partnering with WeGro to evaluate a new model that could provide much-needed income and well-being benefits to marginalized cattle farmers in the country.
Assessing drivers of food choice in South Asia
The food systems and environments in South Asia are undergoing significant transformations, creating both opportunities and challenges for achieving sustainable and healthy diets. In this context, individual and household food choice behaviors are critical to promoting sustainable and healthy diets. Therefore, understanding the science of food choice is essential. However, there is limited evidence on […]