The Good Growth Plan

We've made six commitments to help grow more food using fewer resources, while protecting nature, and at the same time helping people in rural communities live better lives

This new initiative aims to address the challenges we face with respect to scarcity of natural resources that will increase the existing pressure on farmers who are working to meet the world's needs for food, fuel and fiber and define food production in the coming decade. We know that agriculture is the mainstay of the economy in Bangladesh and will continue to be for at least the next few decades providing employment to almost 47% percent of the population. Coupled with this, the biggest challenge of the 21st century would be to feed the growing population demanding improved nutrition in a sustainable manner. With Bangladesh estimated to add nearly 50 million people by 2050, the farmers will have to grow crops more efficiently, conserve existing land, improve biodiversity and most importantly integrate the vast multitude of smallholders currently holding less than two hectares into the mainstream of the developmental process. Agriculture in Bangladesh is dominated by small farmers. Currently 12.8 million farmers have land holdings of less than two and a half hectare but cultivate more than 90 percent of the farmland. Smallholders present a huge potential for productivity enhancement. Thus all the challenges focused on in the Good Growth Plan are relevant to Bangladesh.