The Government of Bangladesh and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Sunday celebrated the 50th anniversary of FAO's Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), highlighting five decades of collaboration that have helped transform the country's agriculture, fisheries and food systems.
The event, held at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) in Dhaka, also marked the official launch of five new FAO-supported technical cooperation initiatives aimed at strengthening climate resilience, food safety, fisheries management and agricultural competitiveness.
Addressing the event, Agriculture and Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid paid tribute to FAO's longstanding support since Bangladesh's independence, recalling the country's severe food shortages in the early 1970s.
"FAO stood beside Bangladesh during one of its most difficult periods and continues to support us today. We believe this partnership will continue in the years ahead," he said.
The minister stressed that Bangladesh's next agricultural priority should be ensuring the production of safe and quality food rather than merely increasing output.
"The world today does not face a shortage of food; it faces a shortage of safe and quality food. Bangladesh also needs to focus on producing safe food if we want to protect public health and expand exports," he said.
Highlighting export prospects, he said Bangladesh has already begun expanding mango exports through improved hygienic packing facilities and is working to export jackfruit and meat.
"If we can guarantee international standards, hygiene and quality, many countries will be willing to pay premium prices for Bangladeshi products," he added.
He also called for stricter regulation of pesticide imports, arguing that stronger quality control at ports would be more effective than relying solely on farmers to ensure safe pesticide use.
Speaking at the programme, FAO Representative Jiaoqun Shi expressed condolences to the families affected by the recent landslides and flash floods in Cox's Bazar and other districts, saying the UN was working alongside the government to support affected communities.
Reflecting on TCP's global impact, Jiaoqun said the programme has become one of FAO's most effective instruments for providing rapid, demand-driven technical assistance to member countries.
Globally, TCP has supported more than 11,000 projects across 178 member countries with investments of around $2 billion over the past 50 years. Around 700 to 800 new projects are approved every biennium, with more than 1,000 projects operational worldwide at any given time, he said.
In Bangladesh, FAO has implemented more than 380 technical assistance projects since 1973, with a combined value exceeding $420 million, supporting agriculture, fisheries, livestock, food safety, nutrition and climate resilience.
Shi said the five newly launched initiatives would advance stress-tolerant rice, strengthen food systems transformation, promote ecosystem-based fisheries management, enhance the export competitiveness of Bangladesh's unique black tiger shrimp, and support climate-resilient and sustainable crop production.
BARC Executive Chairman Dr Abdus Salam said Bangladesh's food production has increased from around 10 million tons after independence to more than 50 million tons today, according to the Bangladesh Economic Review 2025.
He said pesticide use has also declined significantly, from about 48,000 tons in 2008 to around 40,000 tons in 2025, while more than 130 biopesticides have been registered and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) protocols developed for 15 crops.
However, he warned that ensuring food safety has become increasingly urgent, citing a recent report that estimated around one million people develop cancer annually in Bangladesh, while hundreds of thousands more suffer from kidney disease and diabetes.
Additional Secretary AKM Sohel said FAO's Technical Cooperation Programme, though modest in funding, has significant strategic value. He urged stronger national capacity to access global climate finance and highlighted agriculture's growing potential for carbon trading and climate-resilient development.
The event was attendant Dr Md Mahmudur Rahman, additional secretary (PPC), Ministry of Agriculture graced the event as Special Guests. Representatives from key ministries, leaders from farmers associations, development partners, civil society organizations, and media were also present at the program.
The event concluded with the recognition of farmers, researchers, extension workers, government institutions and development partners for their contributions to Bangladesh's agricultural transformation, while the government and FAO reaffirmed their commitment to building more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
