Bangladesh has incredible potential in agriculture: IFAD 

The newly appointed Country Director for Bangladesh at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Valantine Achancho has said that Bangladesh has significant potential in agriculture and rural community transformation.

"I am excited to collaborate with the government, our partners, and local communities to strengthen agricultural systems and improve lives across the country," he said while presenting his credentials to Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday.

"By working together, we can create sustainable growth and give smallholder farmers the support they need to overcome challenges and thrive," he added.

Before coming to Bangladesh, Achancho served as IFAD country director and representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo from 2020 to 2024, and has previously held the same position for Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad, according to an IFAD press release issued on Friday.  

He also served as IFAD country programme officer for Cameroon and Gabon, and programme officer for the Indian Ocean region, contributing to rural development projects in the Sahel and Congo basin, mobilising co-financing, and strengthening partnerships with governments, donors, and civil society to improve rural livelihoods. 

In his new role in Bangladesh, Achancho will focus on advocating for government programmes that strengthen climate resilience in vulnerable rural communities, reads the press release.

This includes promoting climate-smart agriculture and improving access to finance, technology, and markets for smallholders and marginalised groups, with the goal of diversifying the economy and creating rural jobs.

"I am dedicated to collaborating with our partners to empower rural communities, enabling them to adapt to climate change, tackle economic challenges, and build sustainable livelihoods for long-term resilience," says Achancho. 

Since 1978, IFAD has supported the Bangladesh government in its ambitious rural development goals. Over the past 45 years, IFAD has supported 37 projects, mobilising $3.9 billion in financing, to improve the lives and livelihoods of more than 11 million families. 

Currently, IFAD has investment of $519 million in Bangladesh, distributed across six ongoing projects implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Local Government Engineering Department, Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, and the Bangladesh Water Development Board.