11 pages., via online journal., The study aims at exploring the extent of agricultural information literacy of farmers in the northern region of Bangladesh. Besides the review of relevant literature the study conducts a questionnaire-based survey of 160 farmers working in ten districts in the region. The analysis of the survey shows that farmers need information for various purposes of agricultural activities, and they use different sources and media for access to such information. Many of the farmers, however, are not well aware of modern techniques of agriculture, and they occasionally use such techniques for farming. Due to some problems farmers are moderately satisfied in getting agricultural information, and in many cases their satisfaction level is very low. The paper concludes with providing certain recommendations for the improvement of information literacy of the farmers in
Bangladesh.
17 pages, In developing countries, agriculture plays a vital role in reducing poverty and enhancing food security. In Sunamganj, Bangladesh, rural women significantly contribute to agriculture but face gender disparities and limited access to resources. Green cooperatives provide a promising model to empower these women through sustainable practices and economic support. This study explores the roles and impacts of green cooperatives on rural women entrepreneurs in Sunamganj, focusing on factors influencing their involvement, the benefits, and constraints they face, and changes in empowerment before and after joining cooperatives. This study was conducted across five upazilas in Sunamganj, the sampled 200 women entrepreneurs-100 cooperative members and 100 non-members using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data was gathered via interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions (FGDs) and analyzed with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify key influencing factors and the Problems Confrontation Index (PCI) was utilized to assess the severity of challenges faced by members. The findings reveal that green cooperatives enhance women’s socio-economic status through improved production, market access, financial stability, and decision-making roles. Education, credit access, input availability, training, and experience were key drivers of the cooperative engagement of rural women entrepreneurs. However, challenges like male dominance, limited training, transportation issues, labor shortages, and market information gaps persist. Despite these, women in green cooperatives benefit from fixed pricing for organic products, increased bargaining power, and timely access to inputs and training. The study highlights the need for improved education, continuous training, extension services, high-quality inputs, and better infrastructure to support women’s participation further. The insights provided aim to guide policymakers in developing supportive policies that enhance the impact of green cooperatives, address gender-specific challenges, and promote the use of digital tools for market access. Future research should explore longitudinal studies and regional comparisons for deeper insights into rural women’s empowerment.
Bentley, Jeffery (author), Boa, Eric (author), and Salm, Mundie (author)
Format:
Report
Publication Date:
2016
Published:
International: Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, ACP-EU, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 166 Document Number: D08500
Notes:
ACDC holds citation information, introduction, contents page and the first three stories., Features workshop organized by Access Agriculture, Nairobi. 56 pages.
Butler, James R.A. (author), Darbas, Toni (author), Addison, Jane (author), Bohensky, Erin L. (author), Carter, Lucy (author), Cosijn, Michaela (author), Maru, Yiheyis T. (author), Stone-Jovicich, Samantha (author), Williams, Liana J. (author), and Rodriguez, Luis C. (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
2017
Published:
International: CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Victoria, Australia
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 18 Document Number: D10513
Notes:
217 pages., Pages 109-129 in Heinz Schandl and Lain Walker (eds.), Social science and sustainability. CSIRO Publishing, Clayton South, Victoria,Australia. 2017. 217 pages.
Chowdhury, Shyamal (author), Negassa, Asfaw (author), and Torero, Maximo (author)
Format:
Research report
Publication Date:
2005-10
Published:
International: International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 102 Document Number: D10927
Notes:
Food Consumption and Nutrition Division Discussion Paper 195 and Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division Discussion Paper 89. 44 pages., This paper examines how market institutions can affect links between urban and rural areas with specific emphasis on goods market integration in the national context. Traditionally, development researchers and practitioners have focused either on rural market development or on urban market development without considering the interdependencies and synergies between the two. However, more than ever before, emerging local and global patterns such as the modern food value-chain led by supermarkets and food processors, rapid urbanization, changes in dietary composition, and enhanced information and communication technologies point to the need to pay close attention to the role of markets both in linking rural areas with intermediate cities and market towns and promotion of economic development and poverty reduction. This paper begins with a presentation of a conceptual framework of market integration and then identifies five major factors that increase the transfer costs that subsequently hinder market integration between rural and urban areas: information asymmetry, transaction costs, transport and communication costs, policy induced barriers, and social and noneconomic factors. Five specific cases in five developing countries are examined in this study to demonstrate the primary sources of transfer costs and the aspects of market institutions that are important to market integration and promotion of rural-urban linkages. While emerging institutions such as modern intermediaries linked to supermarkets and food processors can reduce information asymmetries between rural producers and urban consumers, existing institutions such as producers’ cooperatives can pool the risks, increase the bargaining power of small producers, reduce enforcement costs, and thereby reduce transaction costs. In addition, new types of partnerships between businesses and NGOs, and between public and private sectors, can improve infrastructure provision which, in turn, can reduce transport and communication costs. To the contrary, the presence of inappropriate policies or noneconomic factors such as those that involve social exclusion take on a negative role in linking urban and rural markets.
28 pages., via online journal., The purpose of this paper is to understand how Bangladeshi farmers interact with
mobile telephony and how they negotiate the resulting difficulties. In doing so the paper
identifies how farmers integrate mobile telephony into their daily lives and what factors
facilitate and limit their use of mobile telephony
6 pages, The char land of Bangladesh is vulnerable to climate change. There are changes in extreme weather events. Impact of climate change resulted feminization of agricultural practices. Number of development interventions have been taken to skill the rural community to take adaptation action on agriculture. Development interventions taken in the char land of Dimla, Nilphamari were studied from June 2018 to December 2019 to identify the capacity of climate change adaptation interventions using the information and communication technology to empower women. Mobile Phone Use Index study found that nearly threefourth of rural female farmers were capable to manage knowledge on climate change adaptation if their access to device was ensured. Inclusion of women in the technology playing a very important role towards transformative leadership. Nearly 85% of the women farmers have high environmental awareness; likely to be contributory to adaptation knowledge management. Community themselves identified them more resilient comparing with areas where promotion of technology is not supported. Institutes with the capacity of information technology promotion could be the hub of resilience knowledge management for women, but external supports are required there. Self-motivation supported by project intervention has created notable capacity of a good number of women who could be the mentor of women transformative leadership towards resilience.
Hasan, Md. Mahedi (author), Mondal, Md. Nazrul Islam (author), Islam, Md. Nurul (author), and Hoque, Md. Aminul (author)
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2017
Published:
United States: Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 64 Document Number: D10728
Journal Title Details:
32(3): 214-223
Notes:
11 pages., via online journal., Farm programmes (FPs) of varied categories have been developed and
aired over several decades by Bangladesh Betar, the national radio of
Bangladesh for the diffusion of farm technologies. The study aimed
to produce an in-depth academic evaluation of their effectiveness
in educating farmers in Bangladesh. A sample of 465 respondents
from the Khulna and Rajshahi divisions in Bangladesh was randomly
selected for a questionnaire survey. To analyse the data, relevant
documents were collected from the Ministry of Information, the
Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock
of Bangladesh. Frequency distribution, z-test, and binary logistic
regression analysis were used as statistical tools. The farm knowledge
levels of the farmers were considered the predictors for evaluating
the effectiveness of FPs. The results revealed that 93.33% of the
sample did not listen to the FPs, while only very few of the listeners
listened regularly. Despite this, at the ‘weak’ and ‘average’ levels of
knowledge significant differences were noted between listener and
non-listener farmers of FPs. The binary logistic regression analysis
(Model 1) identified that the farmers who listened to the FPs were
likely to acquire farm knowledge 6.62 times more than the farmers
who did not listen to the FPs. The farmers who listened to the FPs were
likely to have farm knowledge 2.64 times more than the farmers who
did not listen to the FPs but consulted with other sources of farming
information (Model 2). Similarly, a listener of FPs with farm training
was likely to acquire farm knowledge 5.76 times more than a nonlistener with farm training (Model 3). The FPs were found to be very
effective and could be used to better complement other mechanisms
for educating farmers. Regular access to the FPs ought to be ensured
through appropriate stimulants for the diffusion of farm technologies.