New Agricultural Technology and Sustainable Food Production in Bangladesh

Domestic food production has increased tremendously in Bangladesh as a result of its adoption of the new agricultural technologies associated with the Green Revolution. Unfortunately, however, Lester Brown’s comments that such technology ‘is literally helping to fill hundreds of millions of rice bowls once only half full’ (Brown, 1970) does not apply to Bangladesh (cf. also Remenyi, 1988). In fact its expanding food production has not kept pace with population growth and Bangladesh has become increasingly dependent on imported foodgrain. More rice bowls are now half-filled or not quite half-filled! In addition, indications are that the growth rate of food production in Bangladesh is tapering off and that sustaining the growth rates of recent years is becoming ecologically more difficult. Furthermore, as a result of its change in agricultural technology (to higher ‘tech’ production), Bangladesh has become more dependent on foreign technology and imports of inputs required to maintain agricultural production. This dependence could also threaten the sustainability of Bangladesh’s economic growth. While the present study does not wish to take a pessimistic view, there is cause for concern. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.