Women farming in Bangladesh - IFPRI Images
MOTIVATION
In 2009, a collaboration of CGIAR centers—IFPRI, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)—with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID, launched the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA). CSISA works with national and international partners to sustainably increase the productivity of cereal-based cropping systems for improved food and income security. IFPRI conducts policy research for CSISA to promote evidence-based policy reforms conducive to the adoption of sustainable intensification technologies and practices at scale in the most risk-prone areas in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. Additional support for IFPRI’s CSISA research was later provided by the IFPRI-led CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM).
RESULTS AND OUTCOMES
- Between 2010 and 2015, more than one million farmers in Bangladesh benefited from higher yields because of stress-tolerant rice varieties distributed by CSISA. Although gains have been significant, IFPRI’s assessment in 2016, Adoption of Stress-Tolerant Rice Varieties in Bangladesh, showed that even higher uptake of these rice varieties is possible through improved education outreach.
- IFPRI’s Review of the Input and Output Policies for Cereal Production in Bangladesh in 2012 helped policy makers identify key priorities to increase cereal production, such as using resource-conservation technologies for rice and other cereals, and developing high-yielding, stress-tolerant cereal varieties. This study also showed that private sector involvement contributed to improved access and affordability of inputs, helping the government decide to reduce the role of state-owned enterprise.
For more information on IFPRI's research and partnerships in Bangladesh, please go to this brochure.
