Summary
The project's aim is to increase the food and nutritional security of resource poor farmers in Jamalpur and Greater Faridpur districts of Bangladesh through diversifying farming systems and livelihood opportunities. Productivity increases will be achieved through promoting both rice and non-rice based farming systems and other on and off farm activities. In this the project will promote and build on the learning and approaches of the PETRRA programme. Primary target groups will be resource poor farmers owning between 0.2 to 1 ha of land, with priority being given to particularly vulnerable groups such as women headed households. Secondary beneficiaries will be local NGO, government bodies and private sector actors. Key activities will include participatory needs identification in production, processing and marketing, skills training, technology development, farmer-farmer exchange, pilot work, knowledge dissemination through rural technology centres, capacity building, policy lobbying and M & E.
Objectives
The objective of the project is to increase food and nutritional security of small and marginal resource poor farmers (RPF) through the sustainable increase of production in Jamalpur and Faridpur districts. This will take place through the adaptation of rice based farming systems in conjunction with the diversification of other small holder farming systems (including both crop production and non crop production activities) aimed at improving access to, and consumption of, more nutritionally balanced diets in the target areas.
Promote best practice and approaches to uptake, based on the experiences of the PETRRA programme, complemented by the experiences of Practical Action (former ITDG) and other relevant development organizations, with the aim of sustaining and increasing efforts to reduce food insecurity among poor households in the target area. The PETRRA project has been piloting technologically development in many aspects of small scale rice production systems related to variety development, crop nutrient, requirement and management, farm power and labour, seed quality, integrated pest management and other aspects of diversified farming systems. PETRRA has also gathered experience on transforming structures, institutions and processes that shape rural livelihoods such as building institutional capacity for building demand driven research and uptake at local level, and understanding how farmers fit in to national systems from the household level up to the national government. The project will further build on these, and ITDG's own work and that of other organizations, to enhance the food and nutritional security of resource poor farmers.
Promote food processing and post harvest activities as a means of increasing the availability, optimising the utilisation and maximising the value added (for marketing and income generating purposes) of the activities of RPFs. To also create non-farm income generating opportunities to enhance RPFs purchasing power and resources that will contribute towards a diversified livelihoods system and greater food security in the target area, as it can not be denied that agricultural land and resources processed by the vast majority of the target group are insufficient to ensure regular and sustained supply food to meet household consumption needs. Thus to implications for poverty elimination, there is a need for diversification of livelihoods options that will encompass non-farm interventions.
Strengthen the capacity of NGOs and government bodies from local to national level to respond to small, marginal farmers food security needs, in regards to appropriate research, extension, planning and management. This involvement of grassroots level organizations will contribute towards the long-term sustainability of efforts to address food security.
Improve resource poor farmer's access to, and management and control over food production resources (land, water, etc.) and ensure a better policy environment within and under which resource poor farmers can operate sustainable and profitably. As the project will concentrate on increasing productivity, this will lead to not only increase in household consumption, but also generate some marketable surplus. Additionally farmers will require increased access to agricultural inputs such as seed, fertilisers and farm equipment resulting in the project requiring interventions to enhance both market access and market opportunities at output and input level.
The project will also contribute towards resource poor farmer's needs in regard to government food and agricultural policy and systems through advocacy aspects.
Project areas
Practical Action (former ITDG) is working in 16 Upazilas under 5 Distrcits covering approximately 7,500 households. They are: Jamalpur (Jamalpur Sadar, Dewanganj, Islampur, Madarganj, Sarishabari, Bokshigonj and Melandah), Faridpur (Faridpur Sadar, Boalmari, Char Bhadrasan and Nagarkanda), Rajbari (Goalondo and Baliakandi), Madaripur (Rajoir) and Shariatpur (Goshairhat and Bhedorgonj).
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