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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

Ahmed Akhter

researcher spotlight

Akhter Ahmed

Akhter Ahmed is a Senior Research Fellow in the IFPRI’s Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit and Country Representative for IFPRI Bangladesh. He has worked on strategies for agricultural and rural development, social protection, and women’s empowerment to reduce poverty, food insecurity, and undernutrition in developing countries including Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Malawi, the Philippines, and Turkey.

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Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

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IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Mohammad Riad Uddin

Research Analyst

Bio

Mohammad Riad Uddin is a Research Analyst in the Markets, Trade, and Institutions Unit. His research interests include regional economic development, education policy, and agricultural economics. Prior to joining IFPRI, he worked as a consultant at the World Bank. Through his work at the World Bank and Innovations for Poverty Action, he gained experience in designing and implementing impact evaluation research using the randomized controlled trial (RCT) methods. He received his master’s degree in Economics from East West University, Bangladesh.

Markets, Trade, and Institutions

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Brief

Evaluation of a livestock financing project in Bangladesh: Navigating operational, environmental, and behavioral challenges

2023Ambler, Kate; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; de Brauw, Alan; Uddin, Mohammad Riad
Details

Evaluation of a livestock financing project in Bangladesh: Navigating operational, environmental, and behavioral challenges

Smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries have limited access to finance, due to the pau city of banks and other financial institutions in rural areas. As a result, banks and other formal financial institutions tend not to know much about farming as a business, and therefore they hesitate to extend credit to farmers. Such reluctance is often attributed to the elevated costs and risks linked with small, geographically dispersed farms, as well as the farmers’ lack of collateral. Microfinance has emerged as a crucial intervention in bridging this gap. However, the fixed and rigid repayment structures of microfinance institutions (MFIs) often clash with the seasonal nature of agricultural production. This mismatch creates financial strain for farmers, who must manage cash flows that are inherently unpredictable due to factors like weather variability and market fluctuations. These challenges underscore the need for more flexible and tailored financial solutions.

Year published

2023

Authors

Ambler, Kate; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; de Brauw, Alan; Uddin, Mohammad Riad

Citation

Ambler, Kate; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; de Brauw, Alan; and Uddin, Mohammad Riad. 2023. Evaluation of a livestock financing project in Bangladesh: Navigating operational, environmental, and behavioral challenges. Rethinking Food Markets Initiative Note December 2023. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/135965

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Smallholders; Finance; Rural Areas; Farming; Mircofinance; Risk

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.137043 Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Brief

Resource thumbnail

Report

Landscape report on existing financial and logistic services in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh

2022Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Uddin, Mohammad Riad; Shamma, Raisa
Details

Landscape report on existing financial and logistic services in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh

The economy of Bangladesh is largely defined by the agricultural sector, which is reflected in its yearly GDP contribution of approximately 11% in the past few years (World Bank, 2022). The sector holds po tential for even higher contributions to the economy, provided effective initiatives related to financial inclusion and logistical innovations are implemented. Even during the immense global challenges during to the Covid-19 pandemic, the country’s agricultural sector persisted. Improving on traditional initiatives and practices to address constraints faced by farmers and other agricultural value chain actors will ena ble the sector to expand and benefit new sections of the population, including those most vulnerable such as the poor, women, and youth. Many of the recent innovations in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh have been initiated by ‘AgriTech’ companies/start-ups in the space of financial and logistical services. Financial services are available for both small and large-scale agriculture operations in the country. Besides innovations in fi nancial services, there has been a burgeoning list of logistical services as well. Utilizing this wave of innovations appropriately can help the agricultural sector reach its full potential for success. This report is arranged in the following manner. First section 1 discusses the traditional services in financial and logistic sectors, and then section 2 discusses the existing constraints in both sectors. Sections 3 and 4 go into detail on financial and logistical innovations respectively that aim at addressing the discussed constraints. Both sections 3 and 4 have subsections giving a brief description of organiza tions that are behind these innovations.

Year published

2022

Authors

Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Uddin, Mohammad Riad; Shamma, Raisa

Citation

Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Uddin, Riad; and Shamma, Raisa. 2022. Landscape report on existing financial and logistic services in the agricultural sector in Bangladesh. Scoping Study 1. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/128027

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Sector; Economy; Finances; Innovation; Farmers; Agricultural Value Chains; Agricultural Technologies; Logistics; Supply Chains; Economic Situation; Agritech; Finance

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.136554 Source record

Project

Rethinking Food Markets

Record type

Report