Can Agroforestry Ensure Food and Nutrition Security Amidst Climate Change and Covid-19 Pandemic? Bangladesh Perspective

Although Bangladesh has achieved a remarkable overall rate during the past couple of years, still it has a greater number of undernourished and poor than any many developing countries. The agro-ecology and ethnicity in this region are diverse. Agricultural sector has developed tremendously and supporting the growth and development of other sectors of the economy. Despite improvements in national food security over the last three decades, benefits have not yet reached the entire population of the region due to climate change, poor policy implementation and management. The COVID-19 pandemic has created another crisis and the country is not on track to achieve the SDG Goal-2 - known as Zero Hunger for short by 2030. In order to reverse this serious setback to development progress and poverty reduction, food and nutrition security, it will need to take various activities for a different post-COVID time. Climate resilience agricultural system would sustain food production and ensure food and nutrition security. Nowadays, many crop fields are being transformed to fruit tree orchards such as mango, litchi, orange, guava, lemon etc. where various crops and/or vegetables can be grown. Cropland-, homestead-, silvopastoral agroforestry systems can ensure high production, conserve soil health, improve biodiversity, create employment, provide food and fodder. This mixed faming would help farmers to get at least some production even under tremendous crisis as well as climate calamities.