The Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) signed two project documents in Dhaka today (18 October), providing $447,000 in grant assistance for safer pesticide management and rural women's green micro-businesses.
Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of ERD under the Ministry of Finance, and Dr Jiaoqun Shi, FAO representative in Bangladesh, signed the documents on behalf of their respective organisations, according to the press release.
AKM Sohel, chief of ERD's UN Wing, moderated the ceremony. Dr Kazi Shahjahan, joint secretary of the UN Wing, and officials from relevant ministries and agencies also attended.
The four-year project "Strengthening Capacities for Lifecycle Management of Pesticides" will provide Bangladesh with $200,000.
Funded by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs under the FAO–China South-South Cooperation Programme, the project also covers Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan.
It will support updated pesticide regulations, digital registration systems and stronger enforcement. Activities will also strengthen laboratory capacity for residue testing and raise farmers' awareness of safe pesticide use.
The project document states that more than 30% of vegetables in Bangladesh are reported to contain excessive pesticide residues.
FAO revised the document following an inter-ministerial meeting at ERD on 10 June, 2026.
Under the revised arrangements, the Ministry of Agriculture will lead the Project Task Force, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute will participate in implementation, and the national project coordinator will be based in Bangladesh. The budget has also been rationalised.
The second project, "Green Roots Women's Farm Labs", is a 24-month sub-programme being piloted in Bangladesh and Uganda. Bangladesh will receive $247,000.
Building on FAO's Farmer Field School approach, the initiative will help rural women establish and expand environmentally friendly micro-businesses through coaching, appropriate technology and connections 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 ceremony, Dr Jiaoqun Shi said, "FAO is pleased to support the Government of Bangladesh in building safer agrifood systems and creating opportunities for rural women."
AKM Sohel described FAO as a trusted development partner of Bangladesh since independence. He said the organisation had invested more than $500 million in improving the country's agriculture sector.
Shahriar Kader Siddiky said, "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."