Resilient agriculture is an adaptive farming system especially applicable to changing environmental, social, and economic conditions while maintaining increased production. Variety of challenges due to climate change, scarcity of resources, and uncontrolled population growth lead us to think in an alternative way. This type of agricultural practice prioritizes a holistic approach ensuring sustainable practices and innovations which will improve agricultural systems to withstand shocks and stresses and also ensure long term food security as well as environmental health.
The southern part of Bangladesh, a low-lying coastal region, is one of the most climate vulnerable areas in the world. Millions of people of these areas are facing threats due to sea level rise, increased salinity, cyclones and different storm surges. All of these are affecting agricultural productivity and threatening the food security and also livelihoods. As the agricultural yield is under pressure, and the long-term food security is under pressure, it is high time to work for resilient agriculture practices to help the local communities to adapt existing and new environmental challenges. In this context, LEDARS stated to promote resilient agriculture in the saline prone coastal area since 2012.
LEDARS organizes vulnerable communities into groups such as Climate Resilient Groups (CRGs), Farmers’ Groups, Self-Help Groups, and Farmers’ Cooperatives. These groups receive training on climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, and alternative livelihoods, enabling them to share resources, enhance economic opportunities, and amplify community voices. This approach fosters advocacy, locally-driven solutions, and resilience to climate challenges.
LEDARS strengthens community capacity through training on climate change adaptation, resilient agriculture, water management, leadership, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene). Activities include training sessions, field schools, agricultural fairs, knowledge-sharing sessions with youth, quarterly newsletters, courtyard meetings, traditional pot songs and dramas, posters, leaflets, and crop calendar distribution.
LEDARS provides saline, flood, and drought-tolerant rice and vegetable seeds to selected beneficiaries. This initiative encourages stress-tolerant agricultural practices, helping farmers adapt to challenging climatic conditions.
To promote resilient agriculture, LEDARS establishes model resilient farms with financial and technical support. These farms showcase best practices, including irrigation systems, organic fertilizer use, pest control methods, and soil management techniques. A Technology Display Center at the LEDARS office offers hands-on experience with innovative agricultural models, inspiring community members to replicate these practices.
Recognizing the scarcity of stress-tolerant seeds in remote areas, LEDARS supports the establishment of seed houses in villages. Farmers receive training, seed preservation equipment, and technical support to produce and store saline-tolerant rice and vegetable seeds, ensuring access to resilient crops.
In water-scarce coastal regions, LEDARS works to secure freshwater for irrigation by excavating ponds and canals and installing deep tube wells in brackish water zones. These initiatives help farmers cultivate crops during the dry season by preserving rainwater and utilizing underground brackish water effectively.
LEDARS promotes ecological agriculture to enhance food security and support resilient farming. The organization trains and provides financial and technical support to farmers for establishing organic fertilizer processing centers. Additionally, farmers learn to prepare and apply organic pesticides to protect their vegetable fields sustainably.
• 200 people organized in people organizations has been practicing resilient agriculture.
• 1675 people got training and orientation on resilient agriculture.
• 73 demonstration plot has been demonstrating the technologies
• 2 ponds and 5 canals and 350 mini ponds has been excavated what serve for irrigation for
resilient agriculture
• 4 deep tube well established
• 3395 seed house has been developed and distributing the seeds among community
people.
• 40 tons of rice seed and tones of vegetable seed has been distributed among the
community.
• 53 tones Organic Fertilizer has been distributed 5287 farmers.
• The food security has been increased among 3131 beneficiaries, they have received saline
tolerant seeds supports;
• Nutrition security has been increased among 3395 farmers, they have received vegetable
seed supports;
• Farmers are engaged with marketing with their seeds where LEDARS provided packets;
• Knowledge on seed production and preservation received by 10 Farmers;
• Provided Tk. 5,000 per farmer to help the farmer for seed production and preservation;
• Practices of smart agriculture have been promoted among the targeted people following
crop calendars;
LEDARS (Local Environment Development and Agricultural Research Society) is a non-profit and non-political development organization. LEDARS has been working since 1996 in Bangladesh. Details…
