Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been a partner country since the mid 1990s. ACIAR’s program in Bangladesh is quite small, with projects focusing on constraints to broadacre crop production (especially the rice–wheat system) and the potential for increasing legume production in cropping systems. This past focus will broaden with the emergence of rice–maize as an increasingly important cropping system. Increased pulse productivity and availability will lessen nutritional problems associated with the dominance of rice in diets.

With re-emerging concerns about Bangladesh’s ability to maintain food security in the light of its high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, the emphasis will shift to increasing the productivity of rice as the main staple. Low-lying areas and rainfed cropping systems in Bangladesh are particularly impacted by the effects of seasonal climate variability and climate change. Consequently, Bangladesh is one of four partner countries involved in ACIAR’s climate change adaptation initiative.