Climate Change Takes Front Seat at Seed Policy Workshop
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Over the last 35 years, climate change-induced salinization of soil and water increased by an estimated 26 percent across Bangladesh, adversely affecting production of various crops.
Policy LINK’s team in Bangladesh — known there as the Feed the Future Bangladesh Policy LINK Agricultural Policy Activity — has brought together government and private-sector stakeholders in Jashore, a western border district of about 2.8 million people, for a discussion about national seed policy and how it intersects with the growing impact of climate change.
Over the last 35 years, climate change-induced salinization of soil and water increased by an estimated 26 percent across Bangladesh, adversely affecting production of various crops — both around coastal areas as well as deeper inland. Despite their increasing effects, these challenges have not been adequately reflected in the national seed policy and regulatory framework, according to workshop participants.
The October 31 Policy LINK-facilitated workshop welcomed more than 40 representatives from various public, private, nonprofit, and media organizations. Government representation was the highest of any Policy Activity event to date.
The workshop was chaired by Md. Jahidul Amin, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Jashore, who spoke about the proactive roles of both government and private organizations, ensuring inclusion of farmers’ voices in policy making, logistic support to strengthen dedicated government wings like the Seed Certification Agency, and increasing the number of “notified” crops — seed segments that are highly regulated due to their impact on food security.
The workshop concluded with a commitment from participants to collaborate on future policy dialogues, working together to formulate and reform efforts linked to the seed sector. That sector is one of four “policy pillars” anchoring Policy LINK’s work in Bangladesh, which aims to improve policy formulation, analysis, advocacy, reform, and implementation.