The initiatives will strengthen pesticide testing, modernise regulatory systems and help rural women access technology, finance and markets, with projects spanning four years and 24 months respectively.
Bangladesh has secured $447,000 in grants from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to strengthen pesticide safety and support environmentally friendly businesses led by rural women, officials said today.
The government’s Economic Relations Division (ERD), under the Ministry of Finance, signed two project documents with FAO in Dhaka on October 18, allocating $200,000 for safer pesticide management and $247,000 for women-led green micro-enterprises.
ERD Secretary Md. Shahriar Kader Siddiky and FAO Representative in Bangladesh Dr. Jiaoqun Shi signed the documents on behalf of their respective organisations.
The larger grant will support rural women’s businesses, while the second project aims to improve pesticide regulation, testing and enforcement amid concerns over chemical residues in agricultural produce.
According to the pesticide management project document, more than 30 percent of vegetables in Bangladesh are reported to contain excessive pesticide residues.
The four-year initiative, titled “Strengthening Capacities for Lifecycle Management of Pesticides”, is part of the FAO-China South-South Cooperation Programme, funded by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Bangladesh will receive $200,000 under the programme, which also covers Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan.
The project will support updates to pesticide regulations, the introduction of digital registration systems and stronger enforcement mechanisms.
It will also strengthen laboratory capacity for pesticide residue testing and improve farmers’ awareness of safe pesticide use.
FAO revised the project document following an inter-ministerial meeting at ERD on June 10, 2026.
Under the revised arrangements, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Agriculture will lead the Project Task Force, while the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) will participate in implementation.
The National Project Coordinator will be based in Bangladesh, and the project budget has been rationalised.
The second grant, worth $247,000, will support “Green Roots Women’s Farm Labs”, a 24-month sub-programme being piloted in Bangladesh and Uganda.
Building on FAO’s Farmer Field School approach, the initiative aims to help rural women establish and expand environmentally friendly micro-businesses through coaching, appropriate technologies and improved access to finance and markets.
National partners include the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Agricultural Marketing, the Department of Agricultural Extension and Sara Bangla Krishak Society.
The initiative coincides with the International Year of the Woman Farmer 2026.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, FAO Representative Shi said the organisation would continue supporting Bangladesh’s agricultural development.
“FAO is pleased to support the Government of Bangladesh in building safer agrifood systems and creating opportunities for rural women,” she said.
ERD Secretary Siddiky said the two initiatives reflected shared priorities in agricultural safety, climate resilience and women’s economic participation.
“These projects reflect our shared commitment to safe food, climate-resilient livelihoods and women’s economic empowerment. ERD will continue to facilitate effective coordination so that results reach farmers and rural women,” he said.
A K M Sohel, chief of ERD’s United Nations Wing, described FAO as a trusted development partner of Bangladesh since the country’s independence.
He said the UN agency had invested more than half a billion US dollars in improving Bangladesh’s agricultural sector.
Sohel also moderated the signing ceremony, attended by Dr. Kazi Shahjahan, joint secretary of ERD’s UN Wing, and officials from relevant ministries and government agencies.
ERD is responsible for coordinating external development resources for Bangladesh, including assistance from United Nations agencies.
FAO, a specialised agency of the United Nations, leads international efforts to combat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.