The Government of Bangladesh played host to a large contingent of foreign delegates (over 75 people from 43 countries and 13 different international organisations) during a High-Level Meeting on South-South and Triangular Cooperation in the Post 2015 Development Agenda: Financing for Development in the South and Technology Transfer in Dhaka on May 17-18.  Opened by the Prime Minister,  the meeting focused on technology transfer and new modes of financing for development. 

In this context FAO Bangladesh organized an “Impact Session” attended by Mr Jong Jin Kim, Director, South-South and resource Mobilization Division, FAO-HQ, Mr Mike Robson, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, Dr Md Rafiqul Islam Mondal, Director General, Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI), and Mr Fazlul Kader, Deputy Managing Director, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF).  The session focused on food security, and specifically the , ‘Impact session I: technology, Science and Innovation’ (17 May 2015), jointly hosted by IFAD, Ministry of Agriculture, and FAO at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka, highlighted south-south cooperation in relation to food security in Bangladesh, with particular focus on the area of policy, technology, and investment.

In his opening presentation, Mr Robson reminded the session of the three pillars of food security (availability, access and utilization of food).  He emphasized the remarkable progress of Bangladesh towards food security, and he identified lessons learned from Bangladesh in terms of production and  innovation which have benefited from some form of south-south exchange, whether government-to-government, or through private sector business relationships.  He also highlighted the policy work undertaken in Bangladesh through the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Food, on monitoring food security and investment programming relating to food security.  In both of these areas, countries from within and outside the region are trying to emulate the example of Bangladesh.

A presentation on “Applying Innovations and Appropriate Technology in Agriculture” followed by Dr. Md Rafiqul Islam Mondal, DG, BARI, particularly on Bangladesh’s major success in introducing high-yield –adverse ecosystem tolerant mega varieties crops (rice, maize, pulses, tuber etc). Dr. Mondal said, “Good agriculture practices are taking place through usage of cost efficient integrated management practices resulting in 25-55% increase in healthy crop-yield, prolific development in transgenic crop development, and application of techniques for conserving soil fertility. Mechanization is speeding up harvesting process, which aids intensification, while the government has put a significant effort into digitalizing the sector through online services”.

In his remarks, Mr Fazlul Kader, DMD, PKSF, mentioned micro-financing initiatives under joint collaboration between PKSF and IFAD, as the key for marginal and small farmers in order to sustain production. He described some of the innovations in this area including tailored repayment arrangements, insurance for livestock, capacity building and value-chain enhancement.