Bangladesh

The processed food market is currently valued at $4.8 billion, combining both domestic consumption and exports. Projections indicate that by the year 2030, this figure is expected to rise to $5.8 billion. A report released by BIDA (2023, June) highlights the government's commitment to creating an additional 100,000 employment opportunities in this sector by 2025. In light of these developments, the BYETS project carried out TNA in AP factories across Dhaka and Chattogram to gain a deeper understanding of the training requirements within the AP industry. The factories included in TNA are Kazi Food Industries, Hashem Foods Limited, Danish Food Industry, Meghna Noodles & Biscuit Factory, Olympic Industries, Banoful and Co. Ltd., and Meridian Foods Limited.

Poverty is concentrated in hard-to-reach climate-vulnerable char regions. Geographic isolation and natural calamities force char dwellers to relocate, impacting their livelihoods. Testing commercially viable weather forecasting can act as a tool to mitigate disaster risk, and climate change adaptation, enabling proactive measures to safeguard investments and livelihoods, and data-driven insights will empower char producers to optimise resource allocation, and make informed decisions on crop cultivation, management.

A delegation from the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, including Sherman Sabine Rosenthaler, Head of Section Asia; Markus Baechler, Programme Manager; Rebecca Bucherer, Thematic Regional Adviser – Private Sector Engagement and Inclusive Development; and Md. Nadim Rahman, Senior Programme Officer, alongside project team members of PRABRIDDHI, embarked on a visit to Shibganj Municipality. Shibganj is a crucial component of the local economic development (LED) project, jointly funded by Switzerland and the Government of Bangladesh.