Netherlands is going to provide Bangladesh Tk150 crore for three development projects on food security and safety, and on sexual and reproductive health.
Netherlands has launched two food security projects and also extended an existing food safety project under this budget.
The three projects – Making Market Work for Women (MMWW), Krishi Utsho (KU) and the FAO Food Safety Program, will be funded for the next 3-4 years.
The disclosure was made at the inaugural event for the three projects yesterday at the capital’s Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, ActionAid, Care, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Inaugurating the projects, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mohammed Nasim said: “Although we have been improving a lot in our food and health sector, food security is still a big challenge for us. We hope this project will push us forward in many ways to ensure food security in our country.”
The project will cover 6,000 agro-entrepreneurs, 20,000 adolescents, 270 market committee members and 420 UP standing committee members over four years.
Speakers said the outcome of these projects would contribute to key national policies and strategic plans including the Seventh Five Year Plan (2016-2020), the Health Population and Nutrition Sector Development Program, the National Food Policy and its plan of action, and the National Nutrition Policy 2015.
Netherlands ambassador to Bangladesh, Leoni Margaretha Cuelenaere, said: “Over the last 40 years, we are in close cooperation in development and trade in Bangladesh. With the projects, we want to contribute to development of efficient and inclusive value chain. It will help to enable farmers to access quality seeds and other inputs, make agri-entrepreneurs and improve food safety.”
FAO Bangladesh Representative Mike Robson, ActionAid Bangladesh Country Director Farah Kabir and Care Bangladesh Country Director Jamie Terzie were also present at the programme.
