Page 4 - Vol.38-No.3

POWERING “GREENER” VEGETABLE
EDITORIAL
PRODUCTION IN BANGLADESH

FAO has installed solar-powered irrigation systems FAO has established around 300 Farmer Field
to address water scarcity in Cox’s Bazar, where the Schools in the Cox’s Bazar region, providing approxi-
growing population is putting a strain on the natural mately 6 000 farmers with training on good agricultur-
resources. al practices. Left/Top: ©FAO/Saikat Mojumder Right/
Bottom: ©FAO/MH Kawsar Rudro
The lush garden is a far cry from what this water
scarce area could have unfolded. Three silver panels Soaking up the sun
just metros away lift their faces to the sun like sun-
flowers. These innocuous metal panes, solar panels To learn how to use these new irrigation systems
installed by FAO, are largely to thank for these veg- and other crop production techniques, Mohammad at-
etables. tended an FAO-supported Farmer Field School (FFS).
In Cox’s Bazar, FAO is improving irrigation practices Comprised of about 20 farmers with a third of them
and crop production by tapping into green technol- women, the FFS encourages farmers to work as a
ogies, including solar energy. Currently, 70 percent group, manage group bank accounts, attend training
of fresh water on the planet is used for agricultural sessions on good agricultural practices and adopt tai-
production. Solar-powered systems help reduce wa- lored options through on-farm experimentation.
ter loss by using buried pipe systems instead of open As a platform for education and empowerment, the
earth canals, which are vulnerable to evaporation and FFS has been a key component of FAO’s integrated
seepage. programme in Cox’s Bazar, building resilient liveli-
“Water scarcity is a common problem in our area, hoods and food security for refugees and their host
and irrigation costs are very high,”. “FAO installed a communities. FAO has popularised the approach in
solar-powered irrigation system which helps to ad- Bangladesh, establishing around 300 FFSs, which
dress the problem of water scarcity.” It has also cut the benefit approximately 6 000 farmers in the Cox’s Ba-
production cost in half. zar region.
“Conventional irrigation practices result in huge Since the Rohingya crisis began in 2017, FAO has
water loss that deplete underground water reserves been working with host communities and refugees to
while increasing production costs because of the fos- create livelihood opportunities and support farmers
sil fuels needed to run irrigation systems. This also in connecting to markets.
leads to environmental pollution,” says Robert Simp- As with many farmers worldwide, Mohammad found
son, FAO Representative in Bangladesh. “This initia- it a challenge to harvest his crops during the pandem-
tive addresses both challenges of water scarcity and ic.
environmental impact in a sustainable way.”
“During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a short-
FAO and Bangladesh’s Department of Agricultural age of labour. I struggled with getting help to work
Extension will replicate the initiative across the coun- in my field. I also faced difficulties while transporting
try to promote the sustainable transformation of agri- products to distant markets.
food systems.

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