Integrated management of crop-fish-water resources to enhance agricultural production systems

Inter-disciplinary analysis and action

Food security is an important issue for Bangladesh, which cannot be addressed through the application of mono-disciplinary approaches. It demands inter-disciplinary analysis and action that take account of the multiple factors that impinge on food security, including water resources management, crop production, animal husbandry, fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the complex environmental, social, economic and institutional context that affects food security at the country-, household-  and individual-levels.

The overall objective of this project is to strengthen the capacity for interdisciplinary agricultural education and research for sustainable food security in Bangladesh.

Interdisciplinary Centre for Food Security

The specific objective is for BAU and BARC to develop and implement interdisciplinary education and research, taking into account gender and labour market needs.  With project support, BAU and its partners, are establishing an Interdisciplinary Centre for Food Security (ICF), which will offer an interdisciplinary Masters programme, as well as short courses targeted to the development community in Bangladesh.  The project will help develop capacity for interdisciplinary research, strengthening ICF’s integration into the food security debates and networks in Bangladesh. Developing the capacity to incorporate gender into ICF’s approach, through appropriate analysis, capacity-building and the work place and student environment, is a key pillar of the project.

The BAU-BARC-CDI/Wageningen UR collaboration draws on a wider group of international partners, including AIT (Thailand), Can Tho University (Vietnam) and ICRA (NL), as well as its broad-based collaboration with other relevant initiatives in Bangladesh.