Govt, FAO ink deals to improve food, nutrition security in Bangladesh

City Desk :
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Economic Relations Division under the Ministry of Finance signed four agreements on Thursday to support Bangladesh in its efforts to improve food and nutrition security.

The four agreements are Technical Assistance to the Diversified Resilient Agriculture for Improved Food and Nutrition Security project (RAINS-TA), Accelerating Economic and Social Inclusion of Smallholder Farmers through Strong Producers’ Organizations (ACCESS), Public-Private Blended Finance Facility for Climate Resilient Rice Landscape, Integrating Improved Agricultural Practices and Market Linkages to Improve Nutrition and Incomes of Smallholder Farmers in Ukhiya and Kutubdia Subdistricts of Cox’s Bazar District, reports UNB.

The agreements were signed by Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance and Arnoud Hameleers, FAO Representative in Bangladesh ad interim, said a press release.

RAINS Technical Assistance will continue for 4 years with USD 4 million budget.

The technical assistance part of RAINS, worth USD 4 million; it is a grant and funded by the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) of the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is serving as the supervising entity, and FAO as the TA supporting entity.

RAINS seeks to enhance the resilience of the agriculture sector in three major climate hotspots of Bangladesh, namely the coastal, drought-prone, and northern char regions.

The project, spanning four years, will implement diversified, resilient and nutrition-sensitive production systems and improve off-farm opportunities along value chains in 14 districts of the nation.