IFPRI, IRRI, CIMMYT, WorldFish make joint call for measures to avert risk to food system

World’s leading food security think-tank and research centres have recommended Bangladesh to ensure transportation of food from rural to urban areas and the flow of crucial inputs to farmers through market systems so that risk to food system during Covid-19 pandemic can be averted.

In a statement paper jointly issued on Wednesday by a few top CGIAR Centres called for guaranteeing the supply of horticultural, fish and livestock products–in addition to the staple foods, rice and wheat–to provide diverse, nutritious and safe diets for all.

The CGIAR Centers include the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), WorldFish, and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Formerly called Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, CGIAR is largest global agricultural innovation network.

These institutions called for minimizing impacts on farmers’ incomes from high inputs and labor costs and lower than normal farmgate prices, supporting the private sector in its crucial role in providing affordable inputs to farmers, supporting the flow of remittances and cash flows to rural areas, and expanding access to finance options for farmers in need of capital to assure production.

Their statement noted, “As seen in the response to the social distancing challenges currently affecting boro harvest, scale-appropriate farm mechanization options will also become increasingly important to assure timely operations.”

The statement is jointly signed by Dr Akhter Ahmed, Country Representative of IFPRI-Bangladesh; Dr Timothy J. Krupnik, Country Liaison for Research and Partnerships of CIMMYT-Bangladesh; Dr Humnath Bhandari, Country Representative of IRRI-Bangladesh and Dr Christopher Price, Country Director WorldFish-Bangladesh.

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