iFarmer, Winrock to work together for farmers’ climate resilience

iFarmer Limited and Winrock International recently signed an agreement on May 08, 2024, at iFarmer Limited's headquarter. Both parties expressed commitment to working closely on a range of initiatives through the B-PEMS AugroJatra Climate Change Project, funded by the US Department of State. The partnership will encompass both agriculture and aquaculture by ensuring that farmers benefit with information on climate-smart farming practices, agri-inputs, and tailored financial assistance.

The agreement was signed by Fahad Ifaz, CEO of iFarmer Limited, and Nasir Chowdhury, Project Director, B-PEMS AugroJatra Climate Change Project, Winrock International. Zakia Naznin, Senior Technical Lead-Climate Change; Layel Md. Zahirul Islam, Livelihoods and Skills Development Specialist; Nusrat Khan, Communication and Knowledge Management Specialist of Winrock; Forhad Jufiker Rafel, VP of Field Operations, and Kallol Kumar Roy, Head of Farmer Financing Operations of iFarmer, were present during the signing of the agreement. Other participants of the ceremony were Deb Kumar Nath, Development

Project Coordinator; Mohammad Adeeb Sharif, Impact Analyst, and Mayesha Binte Mahbub, Assistant Manager, Marketing Investment & Digital Activation; along with other officials of both organizations.

Winrock International's B-PEMS AugroJatra Climate Change Project intends to generate evidence on the intersection between climate change and human trafficking to assist farming and fishing households in becoming more climate resilient from 11 districts. The project also seeks to work with the government to incorporate the findings into policies and frameworks. The collaboration with iFarmer aims to leverage climate-resilient agriculture and aquaculture in 5 climate-vulnerable districts both from southern and northern Bangladesh.

Fahad Ifaz, CEO of iFarmer, emphasized the importance of integrating agri-finance, agri-input advisory, and insurance in reducing climate vulnerability, stating, "The partnership with Winrock International marks a significant step towards achieving our vision aligned with climate-smart agriculture''. 

Nasir Chowdhury, Project Director, B-PEMS AugroJatra Climate Change Project, said, "Through the project, we will compassionately work with the most vulnerable people so that they become more climate resilient."

Farmers will have access to all the necessary services through the multiple iFarmer Centers, which will be established in all the project locations. This alliance will result in formal financial inclusion among the climate-vulnerable farmer communities and enhance their resilience against uncertain climatic conditions.