FAO to provide $4.47 lakh in grants to boost safe food, women-led green enterprises

The Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Ministry of Finance and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signed two project documents in Dhaka on Sunday for availing grant assistance of US$ 447,000 for safer pesticide management and for rural women's green micro-businesses. 

Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, Secretary of ERD, and DrJiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, signed the documents on behalf of their organizations.

The ceremony was moderated by AKM Sohel, Wing Chief, UN Wing, ERD. Dr. Kazi Shahjahan, Joint Secretary, UN Wing, ERD, and officers of the relevant ministries and agencies also attended, said an ERD press release.

The four-year project, "Strengthening Capacities for Lifecycle Management of Pesticides," is part of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme. China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs provides the funding. Bangladesh will receive US$ 200,000, and the project also covers Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan.

The project will support updated pesticide regulations, digital registration systems and stronger enforcement. It will also improve laboratory capacity for residue testing and raise farmers' awareness of safe pesticide use. 

The project document notes that more than 30 percent of vegetables in Bangladesh are reported to be contaminated with excessive pesticide residues.

Following an inter-ministerial meeting held at ERD on June 10, 2026, FAO revised the project document. The Ministry of Agriculture will lead the Project Task Force, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) will be engaged in implementation, the National Project Coordinator will be based in Bangladesh, and the budget has been rationalised.

The second document covers "Green Roots Women's Farm Labs," a 24-month sub-programme piloted in Bangladesh and Uganda. Bangladesh's share is US$ 247,000.

The initiative builds on FAO's Farmer Field School approach. It will help rural women start and grow environmentally friendly micro-businesses through coaching, appropriate technology, and links to finance and markets. 

The national partners are the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Agricultural Marketing, the Department of Agricultural Extension and Sara Bangla Krishak Society. The initiative coincides with the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Secretary of ERD Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky said, "These projects reflect our shared commitment to safe food, climate-resilient livelihoods and women's economic empowerment. ERD will continue to facilitate effective coordination so that results reach farmers and rural women."

Dr Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, said, "FAO is pleased to support the government of Bangladesh in building safer agrifood systems and creating opportunities for rural women."

In his remarks, AKM Sohel, Wing Chief (UN Wing), Economic Relations Division (ERD), described the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as a trusted development partner of Bangladesh since independence. He noted that FAO has invested more than half a billion US dollars in improving the country's agriculture sector.�"BSS