Dhaka, Aug 20 (V7N) – Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and CAB International have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote climate-resilient, sustainable and safe agricultural practices in Bangladesh by reducing farmers' production costs and addressing climate and environmental risks.
The MoU, titled "Up-scaling of Sustainable Agroecological Farming in Bangladesh," was signed today by PKSF Deputy Managing Director Dr Akond Mohammad Rafiqul Islam and CAB International Regional Director for South Asia Dr Vinod Pandit, according to a press release.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader stressed the need to advance agriculture through sustainable, science-based and market-driven solutions. He emphasized promoting agroecological farming and equipping farmers with skills to adopt modern and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
Kader also highlighted the potential for developing microenterprises among local farmers to produce bio-pesticides, saying such initiatives could lower production costs, reduce environmental and public health risks and accelerate the transition to safer food production.
Dr Vinod Pandit said the initiative would focus on reducing the use of harmful pesticides and promoting safer biological pest-control solutions through training and enhanced technical capacity. The initiative will also raise awareness among agricultural stakeholders, strengthen digital data management and develop market-based partnerships to reduce farmers' production costs and promote environmentally sustainable agriculture, he said.
Under the MoU, the technical expertise of CAB International's PlantwisePlus programme will be combined with PKSF's implementation capacity and extensive grassroots network. The collaboration is expected to strengthen the skills and capacities of smallholder and marginal farmers and facilitate wider adoption of sustainable agroecological farming practices.
Dr Saleh Ahmed, Country Representative of CAB International in Bangladesh, also spoke at the event.
