Bangladesh

Bangladesh has been a partner country since the mid 1990s. ACIAR's program is comparatively small in view of Australia's limited comparative advantage to deal with Bangladesh's rice-dominated agricultural problems.

Projects have focused on constraints to broadacre crop production (especially the rice-wheat system) and the potential for increased inclusion of a legume component in cropping systems. This past focus will broaden with the emergence of rice-maize as an increasingly important cropping system. However, it is recognised that the national focus on rice can compromise nutrition and, as such, work on improved pulse productivity and availability will continue.

With re-emerging concerns about Bangladesh's ability to maintain food security in the light of its high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, the emphasis will shift to increasing the productivity of rice as the main staple. Lowlying areas and rainfed cropping systems in Bangladesh are particularly impacted by the effects of seasonal climate variability and impacts of climate change. Consequently, Bangladesh will be one of four partner countries involved in ACIAR's climate change adaptation initiative designed for implementation during 2009.