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Who we are

With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Kalyani Raghunathan

Kalyani Raghunathan is Research Fellow in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit, based in New Delhi, India. Her research lies at the intersection of agriculture, gender, social protection, and public health and nutrition, with a specific focus on South Asia and Africa. 

Where we work

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Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 600 employees working in over 80 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

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experts

Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion

Md. Redoy

Field Research Officer

Bio

Md. Redoy is a Field Research Officer in the Poverty, Gender, and Inclusion Unit. With IFPRI since 2011, his field research contributions have focused on food security, nutrition, and climate change. He is currently working on the Bangladesh Agriculture Policy Activity Project: Component 2. Before joining IFPRI, Redoy worked in a variety of research projects with organizations such as BRAC, BRAC University, and Org-Quest. As a research assistant in Org-Quest’s Research and Evaluation Division, he supported studies funded by the World Bank. He received his MS in anthropology from Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh.

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Publications

Resource thumbnail

Report

Impacts of bt brinjal (eggplant) technology in Bangladesh

2019
Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Islam, Kazi M. S.; Rahman Khan, A. S. M. M.; Abedin, Naveen; Hossain, Nusrat Z.; Ghostlaw, Julie; Parvin, Aklima; Quabili, Wahid; Rahaman, S. M. Tahsin
…more Rahman, Waziha; Redoy, Md.; Zubaid, Shabnaz
Details

Impacts of bt brinjal (eggplant) technology in Bangladesh

This study examines the impact of genetically modified (GM) eggplant in Bangladesh. Eggplant, called brinjal in Bangladesh, is a high-value crop that is widely grown and consumed. Brinjal is highly vulnerable to fruit and shoot borer (FSB) pest. In response, farmers spray the crop heavily and repeatedly with highly toxic pesticides but with limited success. Over a 10-year period, public sector Bangladeshi agricultural researchers, with support from Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co. Pvt. Ltd. (Mahyco) and researchers based in the United States, have developed a series of GM varieties of Bt brinjal that are resistant to FSB. Extensive biosafety work has demonstrated that there are no significant differences between Bt brinjal and its non-GM counterparts (APAARI 2018). Following regulatory review, Bangladesh approved Bt brinjal for human consumption (APAARI 2018). Other studies suggest that these varieties convey higher yields with lower applications of pesticides. The introduction of GM crops remains controversial in Bangladesh and globally. Frequent criticisms include claims that they are harmful to the environment, damaging to human health, and inaccessible to small farmers for cost or intellectual property reasons. It is also claimed that GM crops (including Bt brinjal) convey no yield benefits, with critics noting that much of the work on economic benefits was based on observational data rather than randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Furthermore, research on GM crops is perceived to be industry-influenced or biased in some way.

Year published

2019

Authors

Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Islam, Kazi M. S.; Rahman Khan, A. S. M. M.; Abedin, Naveen; Hossain, Nusrat Z.; Ghostlaw, Julie; Parvin, Aklima; Quabili, Wahid; Rahaman, S. M. Tahsin; Rahman, Waziha; Redoy, Md.; Zubaid, Shabnaz

Citation

Ahmed, Akhter; Hoddinott, John F.; Islam, Kazi M. S.; Rahman Khan, A. S. M. M.; Abedin, Naveen; and Hossain, Nusrat Z. 2019. Impacts of bt brinjal (eggplant) technology in Bangladesh. Washington, DC: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00TZ7Z.pdf

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Pests; Agricultural Extension; Technology; Eggplants; Pesticides; Insecticides

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Report

Resource thumbnail

Report

Qualitative research on women’s empowerment and participation in agricultural value chains in Bangladesh

2018Rubin, Deborah; Ferdousi, Shammi; Parvin, Aklima; Rahaman, S.M. Tahsin; Rahman, Shuchita; Rahman, Waziha; Redoy, Md.
Details

Qualitative research on women’s empowerment and participation in agricultural value chains in Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, IFPRI has received support from USAID through its Policy Research and Strategy Support Program in Bangladesh (PRSSP) to work in the geographic areas targeted by Feed the Future interventions (known as the Zone of Influence) to construct this new WEAI4VC module. The qualitative research study, conducted by IFPRI field officers, complements a 1,200 household quantitative survey, looking in greater depth at the individual, household, and community level experiences of men and women to understand the consequences of value chain participation on them as producers, entrepreneurs, and wage workers on women’s empowerment. The quantitative study sampled 400 households for each of the three economic activities of interest – (1) agricultural production, (2) agricultural entrepreneurship, and (3) agriculture sector employment. It was carried out in ten administrative units (upazilas or sub-districts), and five villages in each upazila to total 50 villages.

Year published

2018

Authors

Rubin, Deborah; Ferdousi, Shammi; Parvin, Aklima; Rahaman, S.M. Tahsin; Rahman, Shuchita; Rahman, Waziha; Redoy, Md.

Citation

Rubin, Deborah; Ferdousi, Shammi; Parvin, Aklima; Rahaman, S.M. Tahsin; Rahman, Shuchita; Rahman, Waziha; and Redoy, Md. 2018. Qualitative research on women’s empowerment and participation in agricultural value chains in Bangladesh. Bangladesh and Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Southern Asia; Asia; Gender; Empowerment; Agriculture; Qualitative Analysis; Food Supply Chains; Women

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Source

Source record

Project

Policies, Institutions, and Markets

Record type

Report