Engaging youth in farming is key to the future food security of Bangladesh 

Photo 1: A youth local service provider (LSP) sows direct-seeded rice (DSR) using a two-wheel power tiller-operated seeder in Nilphamari, Bangladesh. Photo credit: Asad, IRRI

By Abdul Haque, Sharif Ahmed, and Humnath Bhandari

Bangladesh’s economy heavily relies on agriculture, with a significant portion of the population directly and indirectly dependent on it for their livelihoods. Agriculture contributes approximately 11% to the country’s GDP and is crucial to employment generation and food security. Despite its importance, the agricultural sector faces significant challenges due to climate change, rapid population growth, rising input costs, labor shortages, and the conversion of farmland for unplanned developments. These factors are increasing the pressure on food security.

Food security issues in Bangladesh

Population growth rate in Bangladesh is 1.08%, which places immense pressure on the country’s food production, distribution, and consumption systems (BBS 2023). Most farmers in Bangladesh still rely on traditional farming methods, leading to low agricultural yields. Furthermore, urbanization and industrialization are causing agricultural land to diminish daily, while the country needs to enhance its food production to support its growing population.

Food production is frequently disrupted by natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, droughts, and salinity intrusion in coastal regions. Additionally, insufficient storage, transportation, and preservation facilities result in significant food loss. This loss reduces the effective food supply and consequently affects prices and availability. As a result of low incomes and high food prices, many people, both in rural and urban areas, often face food insecurity.