Transform the agri-food system by strengthening small and family farming approaches and developing agri-entrepreneurship.

The project aims to increase the living income and empowerment of 14 female cooperative members in the Rajshahi district through beef and goat value chain activities. WAVE is implementing the project in 4 upazilas (Godagari, Paba, Mohanpur, and Puthia) under the Rajshahi district with the support of Heifer International Bangladesh. 

The project aims to strengthen the small ruminant market value chain. The project has diversified interventions. Along with promoting financial inclusion, the core activities cover capacity building, reduced mortality rate, ready-feed, forage, and fodder promotion, buck service centers, and loan services. The areas covered under this project are Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jhenaidah, Kushtia, Jashore, and Magura districts of the Khulna Division and Patuakhali and Barguna districts of the Barishal Division. It is being implemented through 25 branches under WAVE’s community finance program since August 2023. The ACDI/VOCA is the technical partner, while USAID provides financial support to the project with a budget of BDT 64,893,000. 

WAVE has been implementing this project since January 2022 with the support of PKSF and IFAD. This project aims to increase the income of marginal and small farmers and backward and forward market entrepreneurs related to meat and dairy sub-sectors, ensure food security, and improve family nutrition. It intervenes in developing the value chain for safe meat and dairy products at different stages, adding value, expanding financial services to develop enterprises, and strengthening institutional structure. Initiatives are being taken to increase the range of enterprises and expand the enterprise through efficient production methods and strong market connections of marginal and small farmers. The project interventions primarily target (i) people with low incomes, (ii) the transitional poor, and (iii) the enterprising poor. Among the target groups, 30% are youth, and at least 70% are women. This project addresses some issues such as inadequate animal services, lack of quality cattle feed, conventional farm management, poor processing, lack of knowledge about safe meat and milk production, and inadequacy of ICT and financial services in developing the market for safe meat and dairy products. It has six interventions i.e. 1: Livestock service market development and easier access to new and improved services locally through the development of LSPs, 2: Development of feed market by developing a supply chain of high-yielding raw grass, silage and ready feed through local suppliers along with concerned companies/institutions, 3: Farm mechanization by jointly developing dealers and sub-dealers with the concerned companies, 4: Production of safe dairy products and entry into the premium market,  5: Safe meat production and entry into the premium market and  6: Expansion of ICT and financial services. The project will involve 24,000 farmers and 1,000 service providers to strengthen the backward and forward markets during its period. WAVE is implementing this project in Damurhuda Upazila and Sadar Upazila of Chuadanga District; Mujibnagar Upazila, Sadar Upazila and Gangni Upazila of Meherpur District and Sadar Upazila of Jhenaidah District. 

In order to streamline the livestock extension services and enhance capacity of farmers, WAVE has been implementing the project under Livestock Protection Service Activities’ of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). Its main objectives are to develop capacity of livestock farmers and increase their resilience to natural disasters and disease outbreaks. Under these initiatives, WAVE provides training on Good Animal Husbandry Practices (GAHP) to increase capacity of livestock farm owners, extends risk-reducing services and organizes vaccination camps to reduce death risk and disease of livestock, distributes awareness-raising materials, reduces financial loss of livestock and creates interest among livestock farm owners for increasing investment in livestock sector. The project is funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) with the technical assistance of PKSF. The project is executed through 52 units under WAVE’s Microfinance program. 

The Green Evolution: Pathways to Transforming Food Systems in India, Bangladesh and Nepal’ is a Welthungerhilfe (WHH) supported project. The project’s overarching objective is to support the implementation of national strategies in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India for equitable, resilient, and sustainable food systems. To achieve this, the project intervenes to strengthen the ‘local agroecological food systems’ in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal by improving policy frameworks, operational structures, and multi-stakeholder cooperation at all levels. WAVE is implementing the project in Singair Upazila in the Manikgonj district.  

The project aims to increase resource-efficient and resilient green growth of microenterprises (MEs). WAVE has been promoting resource efficiency, cleaner production and good agricultural practices (GAP), climate-resilient technologies, circular economy, technical knowledge and capacity of MEs through this project. Key areas of the project include driving changes within the microcredit ecosystem, supporting development of environmentally friendly businesses, and promoting adoption of operational safety standards among microenterprises. The project emphasizes capacity building, technology adoption, knowledge dissemination, and behavioral change among approximately 800 microenterprises involved in high-value fruit production. This  project is supported by the World Bank and receives technical assistance from PKSF under the Sustainable Microenterprise and Resilient Transformation (SMART) program. 

WAVE started implementing this project in Manikganj District from 2020. The project aims to increase the sustainable income of local farmers and reduce consumer health risks by ensuring safe vegetable production and marketing using various technologies throughout the year on a commercial basis. The initiative is undertaken to create safe vegetable villages with local farmers for safe vegetable production. The use of environment-friendly agricultural technology and vegetable production will promote health risks-free, safe vegetables throughout the year. The project interventions intend to increase the capability of targeted farmers to produce safe crops and extend agricultural technology to build reliable, safe vegetable market management and ensure farmers’ access to the market.  Also, public awareness will be raised on safe vegetables. The various activities under the project are- Farmers selection, formation of Farmers’ Producer organization and creation of safe vegetable production villages, Capacity Building (Training, Field Day Observation, and Motivation Trips), Vegetable production using various technologies (GAP, IPM) for safe vegetable production, Distribution of agricultural inputs, Implement activities related to market linkage and development, Linkage with public-private service institutions (meetings and workshops), Ensure fundraising and financial support, Campaigning (setting up sign boards, making and distributing posters and leaflets, participating in various agricultural fairs, promotion in electronic media and maintain liaison, video documentation) and so on. The project is being implemented in Singair upazila under the Manikganj district with the support of PKSF.  

Onion Cultivation and Marketing intervention has been implemented in Meherpur and Chuadanga Districts as WAVE’s initiative. In 2017, WAVE started this initiative under the ‘Promoting Agricultural Commercialization and Enterprises (PACE) Project’ of PKSF in Meherpur District. The initiatives implemented by WAVE follow the strategy of combining financial & non-financial services and transfer technologies to the micro-entrepreneurs involved in year-round onion cultivation and value chain development. Its specific objectives are increasing the income of project participants of year-round onion cultivation by ensuring the availability of quality seeds & seedlings, reducing post-harvest wastages and production costs through establishing a cost-effective commercial storage system at the farmer level and creating wage-based employment through the expansion of year-round onion cultivation. 

Krishi Morcha (Farmers’ Producer Organization-FPO) is a collaborative platform that brings together male and female farmers to enhance their livelihoods through innovative and sustainable agricultural practices. WAVE Foundation has been actively working to organize and empower farmers through its FPO concept called Krishi Morcha, in different regions of Bangladesh. WAVE has reached 710 farmers’ doorsteps with 29 Krishi Morcha groups in Chuadanga, Meherpur, Jhinaidah, and Manikganj districts. The Morcha focuses on promoting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), prioritizing environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient production methods. The platform is dedicated to transforming small and medium-sized farms into profitable and sustainable business models. To support farmers, Krishi Morcha offers assistance in raising capital, promoting agricultural mechanization, managing crop harvesting and storage, providing post-harvest care, facilitating transportation, enhancing value addition, and improving marketing strategies and assist them in obtaining their rights. Additionally, it connects farmers with government services to improve their access to agricultural resources. WAVE implements various projects in agriculture to uplift the livelihoods of small farmers, develop agro-entrepreneurs, promote safe food production, and support livestock (such as goat, sheep, and dumba) and fish farming through Krishi Morcha groups. 

WAVE has been implementing this project in Chuadanga district with the support of Agriculture Unit of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). The aim of the project is to ensure the production, storage and marketing of quality seeds, especially rice and summer onion. Through these initiatives, WAVE interventions are organizing cluster-based demonstrations on rice and summer onion seed production and enhancing the knowledge, skills and awareness of farmers through orientation, training, exposure visits, field day observations, market linkage workshops, etc. 

WAVE Foundation implements diversified agriculture, livestock, and fisheries-related activities under this unit with a collaborative partnership with the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF). The aim of this unit is to promote and extend sustainable, innovative, and environment-friendly technology (agriculture, livestock, and fisheries) and provide extension services along with farmer’s capacity-building support to the doorsteps. This unit enables the farmers to advance access to resources, market information, and advisory services for boosting sustainable farm production, ensuring household food & nutrition security, and creating employment opportunities in rural areas.