Inclusive Growth in Bangladesh through Agriculture

DHAKA, Bangladesh, December 21, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Agricultural-input company Partex Agro has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) with a commitment to improve the lives and livelihoods of 5,000 low-income communities by integrating them into its agricultural value chain as growers, suppliers and distributors by 2020.

Launched in 2008, the Business Call to Action (BCtA) aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that engage people with less than US$8 per day in purchasing power as consumers, producers, suppliers and distributors. It is supported by several international organizations and hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The agricultural sector is the largest source of employment in Bangladesh, engaging 47 percent of the labour force in 2015 and comprising 16 percent of the country’s GDP. However, agricultural in this fast-growing economy is constrained by challenges including loss of arable land, population growth, climate change, lack of quality seeds and inputs, and a lack of credit support to farmers. Often, the prices farmers receive for their produce are lower than they should be, which traps farmers in a cycle of poverty.

Partex Agro is mitigating these challenges with an initiative focused on developing new crop varieties that are high yielding, adapted to changing climates and resistant to pests and diseases. This women-owned enterprise focuses on scientific research to develop and deliver innovative agricultural products, technologies and services aimed at enhancing food security. It is now scaling up its inclusive value-chain model in which farmers are engaged as suppliers, distributors, employees and consumers.

The main goal of this initiative is to improve lives and livelihoods in low-income farming communities by engaging farmers in producing high-quality seeds and high-yield crops that command fair prices and catalyze local entrepreneurship.

For its seed production, the company provides specialized training to seed producers, who sell the seeds they grow to Partex Agro at a competitive price. Partex Agro then sells these quality seeds to farmers, and provides them with training on sustainable agriculture and the optimal use of fertilizers as well as pre and post-harvest management. This year, the company also began buying back fruits and vegetables from smallholder farmers, which it can market through its sister food company Danish. This ensures a stable market – and therefore stable incomes – for farming families.

According to Partex Agro’s CEO K.M. Ali, “We are seeking to benefit low-income communities by including them in our value chain on the demand side as clients and consumers, and on the supply side as producers and employees – all with an eye to sustainability and innovation.”

Along with research and development of new seed varieties, Partex Agro is educating farmers about the importance of sustainable agriculture. In addition, farmers are being engaged by the company’s distribution network as retailers, mobile seed vendors, and local service providers. The company provides credit and loan facilities to all its value-chain partners so that they can use good quality agro-inputs, apply modern technologies, expand their operations, enhance their business capacity, purchase livestock or improve the sustainability of their farms.

“Despite the many challenges facing the agricultural sector, its sustainable growth is absolutely critical to developing countries’ economic and social growth,” said Paula Peleaz, who heads the Business Call to Action. “More than ensuring food security, initiatives like Partex Agro’s are involving agricultural communities in poverty alleviation, employment generation and capacity development, and empowering a new generation of successful farmers.”

In its short span of operations, Partex Agro has become a trusted partner for development agencies like USAID, and has forged strong collaboration with universities, research organizations and other companies. By expanding and diversifying its businesses in the coming years, it expects to create more than 700 new full-time jobs.

For further information:

Business Call to Action: Tatiana Bessarabova at tatiana.bessarabova@undp.org

Partex Agro: Md. Mostafizur Rahman at mostafizur@psgbd.com

Membership in the Business Call to Action does not constitute a partnership with its funding and programme partners, UNDP or any UN agency.

About the Business Call to Action (BCtA)
Launched at the United Nations in 2008, the Business Call to Action (BCtA) aims to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by challenging companies to develop inclusive business models that offer the potential for both commercial success and development impact. BCtA is a unique multilateral alliance between key donor governments including the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), UK Department for International Development, US Agency for International Development, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Finland, and the United Nations Development Programme — which hosts the secretariat. For more information, please visit www.businesscalltoaction.org or on Twitter at @BCtAInitiative.

About Partex Agro Ltd
Partex Agro is the fastest growing concern of the Partex Star Group, a leading Bangladeshi conglomerate. The entity concentrates on research and development, production, processing and marketing of high-quality seeds for agriculture. Founded in 2009, Partex Agro works with the objectives of researching, developing, producing and importing seeds, and making them available to farmers in low-income communities at competitive prices. In addition to seeds, Partex Agro produces agricultural inputs like fertilizer, crop protection and animal health products for the betterment of the farming communities. For more information on Partex Agro, visit http://partexstargroup.com/companies/partex-agro-limited/home.