Ministry of Agriculture and International Food Policy Research Institute Inaugurate Permanent Office in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Bangladesh, October 24, 2016 – On Monday, the Ministry of Agriculture and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) jointly announced the inauguration of the IFPRI Bangladesh office at an event in Dhaka.
Mr. Mohammad Nazmul Islam, Additional Secretary (PPC), Ministry of Agriculture and Dr. Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the office. The function attracted high attendance from various ministries, research institutes, civil society, and the media.
“We are very excited to create a more permanent IFPRI presence in Bangladesh,” said Dr. Fan. “IFPRI research has provided vital original research and data on food security, gender, nutrition, and poverty in Bangladesh. We look forward to working with the Ministry of Agriculture and other stakeholders to continue reducing hunger, poverty, and malnutrition, and increasing growth and opportunity.”
IFPRI’s country office in Bangladesh will conduct research to fill knowledge gaps in agricultural development, social protection, and food and nutrition security issues. Currently, IFPRI’s main research program in Bangladesh is the Policy Research and Strategy Support Program for Food Security and Agriculture Development (PRSSP) led by Dr. Akhter Ahmed. The PRSSP, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), began in October 2010, building upon IFPRI’s previous work in Bangladesh. Working alongside government and development partners, the PRSSP aims to fill the need for demand-driven food and agricultural policy research in response to Bangladesh’s Country Investment Plan for agriculture, food security, and nutrition.
Among IFPRI’s other major projects will be the Bangladesh Integrated Food Policy Research Program, which will work with the Ministry of Food to provide critical research on government foodgrain stocks and price stabilization. The program is a part of the Ministry of Food’s Modern Food Storage Facilities Project, financed by the World Bank.