The most densely peopled spot on the planet, Bangladesh is a laboratory for the future of developing world agriculture. Resources are taxed to the limit. In this setting, families are learning valuable new practices through a training approach that treats them with respect, as wheat production "teams."

In the mid-1990s, Bangladeshi wheat researchers posed a basic question: How do you make science-based farming appropriate for and accessible to small-scale wheat growers, who routinely fall outside the reaches of government extension and development organization programs? Those inquiring were from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute's (BARI's) Wheat Research Center (WRC), the outfit that lifted wheat from minor status in the early 1970s to its present place as the second most important cereal after rice in Bangladesh. National wheat yields have improved steadily over the years, although they still average 2.2 tons per hectarenearly 4 tons below the best yields possible.

Researchers suspected that part of the answer lay in reaching a previously ignored group: women. So in 1994-95 the WRC and CIMMYT surveyed 600 women in three major wheat-producing districts. "Contrary to conventional wisdom of the time, we found that most women were knowledgeable, active participants in wheat farming," says Craig Meisner, CIMMYT agronomist in Bangladesh. "They'd adopted this role partly to support the steady intensification of agriculture in Bangladesh, and partly because men were seeking off-farm employment to round out family earnings."

Agriculture Affects All Family Members

In any case, analyses suggested that all family members took part in and were affected by agriculture. Furthermore, families had diverse ways of allocating labor to farming. The WRC and CIMMYT devised an experimental model whereby entire families learn together. "The approach respected families' internal arrangements, rather than dividing training into gender- or task-specific segments," Meisner says. Female field workers, largely from a non-governmental organization, the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), were trained as instructors. In 1995, they conducted simple, participatory seminars using informal training methods with families from their working areas.

Nearly 6,000 persons from more than 1,200 families in eight wheat-producing districts participated. Families received personal invitation cards, making them feel honored and resulting in nearly 100% attendance. Training focused on key pre- and post-harvest management topics: seed germination testing, seed selection, seed rates for sowing, and seed and grain storage. At the end of each seminar, families received a small package of practical implements and a booklet of illustrations for the recommended practices.

Fahmida N. Chowdhury, BRDB organizer and whole-family training instructor, feels the approach makes great sense. "In a farming family, everyone has a different job to do. When all attend training together, each can learn what is important for their particular work. It also makes it easier for a family to plan their work, when everybody has been trained on all aspects of production."

A woman from Dinajpur Sadar village spoke about how her expanded expertise has proven useful. "I thought the training was excellent. I learned about applying fertilizer, proper irrigation, and other things I did not know before. Now I am able to teach others as well. My husband and sons sometimes have to find work outside the village to earn extra income. Now I can manage our family's wheat production by myself."

The family format encourages farmer participation and input regarding the practices promoted through training events. For example, farmers provided useful alternate suggestions for testing seed germination. These included placing seed in damp gunny sacks, stalks from banana plants, or hot water. "The latter idea consisted of dropping seeds in hot water for five minutes," Meisner explains. "Seeds with viable embryos soak up the water more quickly, providing a rough, visual estimate of viability. Subsequent examination by researchers showed this to be a pretty reliable indicator."

Follow-up studies in 1996 among a randomly selected subset of families who had attended the seminars showed 90-100% adoption of the new practices in general. An economic evaluation by the WRC in Dinajpur District in 1999* revealed direct and indirect on-farm benefits from applying the practices of more than US$ 100 per hectare. This is a significant profit in a country where annual per capita income averages US$ 280, where at least 35% of the population lives in poverty, and where agriculture occupies 65% of the labor force.

An Experiment for the World's Future

The whole-family approach has spread to other institutions in Bangladesh, according to Meisner. One is the German Bangladesh Seed Development Project funded by GTZ, which has been using the approach successfully since 1997. Meisner also believes that this and other useful innovations from Bangladesh could have global relevance.

"Bangladesh is not only the experiment for the future of agriculture in the developing world, but may be the experiment for the future of the world," he explains. "Each square centimeter of arable land here is used 1.9 times a year. Land, water, and other resources are stretched far beyond what we would call sustainable. Plant, animal, and human micronutrient deficiencies are appearing. If we can meet the challenges here, then there is hope for the future. If we fail, then many other areas may also be in danger."

For more information:

* E. Baksh, Indicators of Impact on Wheat Production Practices Due to Whole Family Training (BARI-WRC, 1999).

Published on October 2000

August, 2004

Annual Report 99-2000