Homestead production systems: enhanced productivity for food

security in South Bangladesh and West Bengal, India

!   35% and 34% of the rural population fell below the national rural poverty line in 2010 in Bangladesh and India, respectively

!   80% and 59% of farming households in Bangladesh and WB having access to less than 0.5 ha of productive land

!   Increase in food production in Ganges delta through intensification for future food supply is crucial

!   HFS have been promoted for income and home consumption across the countries, less attention has been given to these systems in more challenged coastal deltaic regions

!   Much research has focused on field crops, but less on homestead farming system.

Background with rationale

Objec'ves:  The  major  objec'ves  of  the  study  were  to  compare  between  southern  Bangladesh  and  West  Bengal  –    •  socio-­‐economy    •  homestead  farming  systems  (HFS)    •  HFS  contribu'on  to  household  income  &  consump'on    •  iden'fy  priority  research  needs  

Key research questions

1.  Does  Homestead  Farming  System  contribute  to  food  security?  

2.  Is  there  any  links  between  increased  produc@on  and  consump@on?  

3.  Are  there  any  differences  between  SWB  and  WB  in  terms  of  HFS  and  associated  livelihoods  ?  

4.    Can  these  systems  be  further  improved  sustainably?  5.  What  are  the  development  challenges  for  such                  improvement?  

Study areas

Households surveyed

Country   Region   Water Salinity (ppt)   Number of households (HH)  

 

Bangladesh  

Polder 43   Low (00-05)   320  

Polder 30   Moderate (00-10)   338  

Polder 3   High (05-25)   461  

 Total   1,119  

 

 

India  

Block Kakdwip   Low (00-05)   120  

Block Namkhana   Moderate (00-10)   120  

Sandeshkhali I   Moderate (00-10)   120  

Sandeshkhali II   Moderate (00-10)   120  

Block Sagar   High (05-25)   240  

Total   720  

Land ownership pattern

Total land (field +homestead) Homestead land

Ratio of homestead to field land

Major occupation (by income)

Bangladesh   West  Bengal  

Labor  Agriculture  Small  Business  Betel  Cul'va'on  Van/Rickshaw  puller  Job  Aquaculture  Others  Fisherman  Teacher  Carpenter  Driver  Masonry  

Self sufficiency in food with own products (HFS+Field)

<1 <1

Annual household income (median, US$) from off farm, field crop, homestead aquaculture and homestead non-aquaculture

sources by region

Region   n   off  farm   Field   Homestead  Aqua  

Homestead  Non-­‐Aqua   Total  US$  

Polder-­‐3   456   730   420   78   174   1,136  Polder-­‐30   336   533   365   69   249   1,050  Polder-­‐43   314   640   344   58   139   1,028  Bangladesh   1106   667   381   70   176   1,079  Kakdwip   103   1000   556   307   11   1,796  Namkhana   105   889   311   200   53   1,468  Sagar   227   889   267   140   51   1,476  Sandeshkhali-­‐1   109   1433   333   144   NA   1,753  Sandeshkhali-­‐11   108   1452   344   326   111   1,794  India   652   1103   333   180   44   1,622  All   1758   800   357   116   93   1,304  

Homestead Total (aqua +non-aqua in $): BD 246, WB 224

3 meals per day

Homestead Farming Components

Homestead products

Prod

uctio

n (K

g/H

H)

0  

50  

100  

150  

200  

250  

Poultry  meat  (kg)  

Poultry  egg  (n)  

Fish  (kg)   Prawn  (Kg)   Dairy  milk  (liter)  

Livestock  Meat  (kg)  

Vegetables  (Kg)  

Fruits  (Kg)  

Bangladesh   West  Bengal  

Correlation between production and consumption

-­‐0.2  

0  

0.2  

0.4  

0.6  

0.8  

1  

1.2  

Fruits   Poultry  egg   Fish   Vegetables   Poultry  meat   Dairy  milk  

Correla'

on  sc

ore  (r)  

Bangladesh  

West  Bengal  

Major constraints & challenges for improvement of aquaculture

Perc

enta

ge

0  

10  

20  

30  

40  

50  

60  

Bangladesh  

West  Bengal  

Major Constraints & challenges for improvement of non-aquaculture

Perc

enta

ge

0  

10  

20  

30  

40  

50  

60  

Bangladesh  

West  Bengal  

Productivity by different salinity

High Saline Moderate Saline Low Saline

Land

are

a (h

a)

Key messages !   Increasing awareness on the importance of HFS for food and nutritional security in

West Bengal !   Focus more on creating aquaculture resources in Bangladesh (e.g. WISH Pond) !   Women can get more involved if we can make technology gender responsive !   Investment to develop production technologies with saline tolerant species is

needed in both countries !   Participatory action research is being carried out in both the countries to increase

productivity of HFS and develop local level innovation for farming system intensification