RANGPUR, Nov 21, 2022 (BSS) – Experts have stressed on transforming food systems through agricultural diversification to improve farm livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains (EGP) of Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
 
They put special emphasis on defining the processes and practices like technical options, scaling interventions, policy settings and implementation that can be applied to achieve sustainable, efficient and diversified food systems.
 
The observations came in the inaugural session of the five-day first annual review and planning meeting of ‘Rupantar’ Project organized by University of Adelaide, Australia, at Begum Rokeya auditorium of RDRS Bangladesh here on Sunday.
 
The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is funding the project in the EGP with the world’s highest concentration of rural poverty and a strong dependence on agriculture for food and livelihood security.
 
Thirty-five experts and researchers from University of Adelaide IFPRI and CIMMYT, professors from different agricultural universities, executives of project implementing partner organisations and high officials from Bangladesh, India and Nepal are participating in the event.
 
Dr Kuhu Chatterjee, South Asia Program Coordinator of University of Adelaide and ACIAR-funded ‘Rupantar’ Project moderated different sessions at the meeting on the inaugural day.
 
Executive Director of RDRS Bangladesh Tapan Kumar Karmaker and ACIAR Research Program Manager Dr. Neil Lazarow delivered welcome speeches.
 
Dr. Tamara Jackson, Research Fellow, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide and Project Leader of the Rupantar Project delivered a presentation on the project overview and update.
 
Dr. Brendan Brown, Agricultural Innovation and Community Development Researcher and Consultant to the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) presented an essay on diversification, its definitions and status.
 
Avinash Kishore, Senior Research fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) at New Delhi discussed field level case studies on diversification.
 
Professor Dr. Sucharita Sen of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) at New Delhi discussed understanding gender and gender inclusive approach for food system transformation.
 
The experts said the EGP region with 450 million people has the potential to become a major contributor to South Asian regional food security, but agricultural productivity remains low and diversification is limited.
 
This is because of poorly developed markets, sparse agricultural knowledge and service networks, inadequate development of available water resources and low adoption of improved and sustainable production practices.
 
They said transformation of the food system in the EGP with viable technical options is essential to provide smallholder farmers with profitable livelihoods and the population with balanced diets to reduce unnecessary pressure on natural resources.