Vol.3 No.1 (2008)

ORGANIC FARMING AND POVERTY ELIMINATION: A SUGGESTED MODEL FOR BANGLADESH

Md. Asaduzzaman Sarker and Yoshihito Itohara

Abstract: The objectives of this study were to understand the global and domestic market situation of organic food production and to suggest a suitable model of organic farming that can remove the barriers to the rapid expansion organic farming and eliminate the poverty of poor farmers in Bangladesh. There, rice farming has become unprofitable as costs of production have risen, and farmers are seeking alternative, more profitable crops. Organic farming, with its ecological and social benefits, and premium prices, may offer an ideal alternative. Global sales of organic foods reached US$25 billion in 2003 and are predicted to exceed US$30 billion by 2009. Already 90 developing countries, including 15 that are classified as ‘Least Developing Countries’ (LDCs), are benefiting significantly from the global organic market.

Keywords: Organic Farming, Poverty Elimination, Bangladesh, Co-operative Model

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