Bangladesh is to benefit from two new innovative agricultural projects – one exploiting seaweed and the other sustainable soil management – after the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed the official agreements today.

Mr. Monowar Ahmed, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), Ministry of Finance and Mr. Robert D Simpson, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, signed the project agreements. Ms. Sultana Afroz, Additional Secretary (UN), Economic Relations Division was present at the signing ceremony.

The first new project, on sustainable soil management, aims to improve the nutritional quality of locally produced foods. Bangladesh was selected as one of three countries (together with Burkina Faso and Malawi) to pilot the project as people in these countries commonly have micronutrient deficiencies. The project, called ‘Sustainable soil management for nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia’, is funded by the Federal Republic of Germany. It will examine the transfer of nutrients from soils to crops with the aim of improving the level of nutrients in food. The project will develop comprehensive policy guidance based on scientific and technical results and help to support national institutions to encourage sustainable soil management.

The second new project will help to exploit the potential of seaweed in Bangladesh. Seaweed has been utilized throughout the world for centuries. Apart from its wide-ranging uses in many industries, seaweed contributes greatly to the nutritional status of communities due to its rich composition of nutrients. The global seaweed industry is estimated to be worth around $6 billion. The FAO-funded ‘Support to seaweed cultivation, processing and marketing through assessment and capacity development’ project will be implemented by FAO in collaboration with the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). The project will contribute to food security for Bangladesh’s large and growing population, encourage use of the sea as a sustainable resource, and help develop skills and jobs through the harvesting, processing, and marketing of seaweed.

FAO Representative in Bangladesh Mr. Robert D Simpson welcomed the signing of the two project agreements today. He said: “Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. These two innovative projects will contribute to this goal in Bangladesh, through exploiting seaweed as a food resource and improving nutrition through sustainable soil management. They will build on FAO’s considerable contribution in helping to defeat hunger in the country.”