"Bangladesh's fish production has transformed over the past 20 years. Increased production has lowered prices and led to greater per capita protein consumption. The Making of a Blue Revolution in Bangladesh: The Enablers, Impacts, and the Path Ahead examines how this aquaculture transformation occurred; what the transformation's implications are for income distribution, poverty reduction, and food security; and what aquaculture's future potential is"--

A rapid increase in aquaculture production in Bangladesh has lowered fish prices, increased protein consumption, and reduced poverty. The Making of a Blue Revolution in Bangladesh offers a valuable case study of how this transformation in the fish value chain has occurred and how it has improved the lives of both fish producers and fish consumers and considers the future potential of aquaculture in Bangladesh.

“Boro” is the dry season irrigated rice crop planted from December to early February and harvested between April and June. In 2018/2019, the total production of rice in Bangladesh was 36,391,000 (36.4 million) metric tons (MT), of which boro rice accounted for 53.8 percent; aman rice, 38.6 percent; and aus rice, 7.6 percent. In 2019, paddy prices in Bangladesh were depressed due to a bumper harvest of the boro rice crop. Average paddy price was Tk 17.42 per kg in January 2019 after the aman harvest, but declined by 22 percent to Tk 13.56 per kg in May 2019 (DAM 2020). Farmers complained that they did not receive price support from the Government when paddy prices did not cover their production costs. In response to this situation, the USAID-funded Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program (PRSSP) implemented by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) actively engaged in policy dialogues, and the media extensively covered IFPRI’s analysis and policy recommendations on this issue. On 20 May 2019, the IFPRI Country Representative presented policy options on how to improve farmers’ situation, as related to the low paddy price issue, during a policy seminar at the Agricultural Policy Support Unit (APSU) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. On 11 June 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture requested IFPRI-PRSSP to conduct a study jointly with APSU to assess the paddy price issue. IFPRI agreed to carry out the study. The objectives of this study are to (1) assess to what extent boro farmers were able to sell their paddy to the Government at the announced procurement price; (2) evaluate the efficacy of the direct paddy procurement from farmers by the Government, in order to help farmers overcome low paddy prices in the future; and (3) examine ways to improve the foodgrain procurement system. This report presents IFPRI’s study findings and identifies policy options to address the study objectives.

This report analyses PIM’s 391 peer-reviewed 2018 and 20191 publications. We highlight key gender findings and discuss the challenges faced by researchers in doing gender analysis, with a view to documenting lessons learned and improving practices. It is hoped that the gaps and strengths identified in this report will be useful inputs for future research under PIM and One CGIAR.

Agricultural mechanization in Africa south of the Sahara — especially for small farms and businesses — requires a new paradigm to meet the needs of the continent’s evolving farming systems. Can Asia, with its recent success in adopting mechanization, offer a model for Africa? An Evolving Paradigm of Agricultural Mechanization Development analyzes the experiences of eight Asian and five African countries. The authors explore crucial government roles in boosting and supporting mechanization, from import policies to promotion policies to public good policies. Potential approaches presented to facilitating mechanization in Africa include prioritizing market-led hiring services, eliminating distortions, and developing appropriate technologies for the African context. The role of agricultural mechanization within overall agricultural and rural transformation strategies in Africa is also discussed. The book’s recommendations and insights should be useful to national policymakers and the development community, who can adapt this knowledge to local contexts and use it as a foundation for further research.