The Decline of Active Farmers in Bangladesh: A Crisis for Food Security and Rural Development
The number of active farmers in Bangladesh is experiencing a rapid decline, raising significant concerns among experts and policymakers about the country’s future food security, rural economy, and sustainable development. Despite Bangladesh’s progress toward becoming a middle-income country by 2021, agriculture remains the largest employer, with 47.5% of the population directly engaged in the sector and around 70% depending on it for their livelihood.
Agriculture plays a vital role in Bangladesh’s economy, providing food through crops, livestock, and fisheries, supplying raw materials for industries, contributing to construction through timber, and generating foreign exchange via agricultural exports. It serves as the backbone of the agro-industrial sector, driving economic growth and development.
Recent data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics highlights a worrying trend. The percentage of youth employed in agriculture has dropped significantly, from 48.8% in 2010 to 41% in 2022. Similarly, the general workforce’s participation in agriculture has fallen from 19% to 15.7%. Analysts point to several factors behind this shift, including rural-to-urban migration, low profitability in farming, and the increasing impact of climate change.
Experts warn that this decline poses a serious threat to the nation’s food system. Dr. Mizanur Rahman, an agricultural economist at Dhaka University, emphasizes that if young people continue to leave farming, the country will face a critical shortage of food producers in the coming decade.
Economic disparities between agriculture and other sectors are a key driver of this exodus. Agricultural workers typically earn 30 to 40 percent less than those in the service or industrial sectors. Rising input costs, such as seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation, have made farming increasingly unprofitable, especially for smallholders.
In addition, farmland is disappearing due to urbanization, river erosion, and land conversion for infrastructure projects. Over the past decade, Bangladesh has lost nearly 2% of its arable land. Many farmer families, particularly in flood-prone and coastal areas, are now landless and forced to work as laborers.
Climate change adds further pressure. Floods, salinity intrusion, and erratic weather patterns have caused billions in crop losses annually. Agricultural experts warn that even a 1°C increase in temperature could reduce rice yields by up to 7%.
“There’s no future in farming unless reforms are made,” says Mofiz Uddin, a 55-year-old farmer from Barisal who recently leased out his land to a brickfield. “My sons all left for Dhaka.”
Despite these challenges, the government has taken some steps to address the issue. Limited subsidies and mechanization programs have been introduced, but critics argue that these efforts fall short. Only about half of all farmland is mechanized, compared to 80% in neighboring India. Furthermore, just 2.6% of vocational training graduates are engaged in agriculture, highlighting a lack of youth interest and training.
Experts recommend urgent interventions, including price support for crops, investment in climate-resilient farming, and incentives for young entrepreneurs to enter agribusiness. Without these measures, the country risks importing more food at higher costs and deepening rural poverty.
“Farming is not just a livelihood—it’s the backbone of our national identity,” said Dr. Rahman. “Losing our farmers means losing our food sovereignty.”
Historically, Bangladesh’s agricultural production grew at around 2% per year following independence in 1971. This growth accelerated during the 1990s and early 2000s to around 4% per year. However, this momentum was not sustained, and the growth rate fell sharply after 2011, remaining around 2.2% in recent years.
To achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and transition into a middle-income country, agriculture must grow at a constant rate of 4–4.5% per year. Yet, 85% of farmers are smallholders, facing unpredictable rains, rising temperatures, and shrinking margins. They play a crucial role in climate resilience, food safety, and sustainability.
Md. Shah Jamal Chowdhury, Lead Auditor at the GAP Wing of the Department of Agriculture Extension, emphasized the need for practical support and market linkages for farmers. “We speak of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)—yet without simplification, support, and market linkage, it remains a policy dream, not a farming reality.”
He called for direct channeling of climate funds to smallholders and making GAP practices more localized and affordable. “If we don’t invest in our farmers today, tomorrow’s food security is a myth,” he said.
Mukkan Dutta, Chairman and CEO of Harvesting Knowledge Consultancy, echoed these sentiments, stating that farmers are not just food producers but also climate defenders. “Unless policies translate into practical support and fair markets for smallholders, food security will remain an illusion.”
In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and with financial support from the Gates Foundation, launched the “Technical Support to Sustainable and Resilient Investment Towards Agriculture Sector Transformation Programme (AsTP)” on July 23.
Dr. Emdad Ullah Mian, Secretary of MoA, highlighted the importance of the AsTP project in aligning national policy with evidence and empowering institutions to deliver results. “It comes at a crucial time as Bangladesh redefines its agricultural priorities ahead of LDC graduation,” he said.