Like other INGENAES activities, this research activity aims toward the larger goal of building gender-responsive agricultural extension and advisory services and as a result, improving women farmers’ agricultural productivity and household nutrition. This particular project expanded the overall INGENAES focus by bringing men into the picture, specifically, looking at men’s perspective on their roles in meeting household nutritional needs and their preferences for nutrition-sensitive extension approaches. In addition, this project sought out information from men and women about gender roles and particularly transformations in gender roles taking place in rural villages that might affect nutritional outcomes. 

A New Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) has been devised and introduced in Bangladesh in 1996. The goal of the NAEP is to: “Encourage the various partners and agencies within National Agricultural Extension System (NAES) to provide efficient and effective services which compliment and reinforce each other; in an effort to increase the efficiency and productivity of agriculture in Bangladesh”.

Policy Summary Note.

The broad objective of the agricultural policy is to facilitate and accelerate technological transformation with a view to becoming self-sufficient in food production and improve the  nutritional status of the population.

Agricultural extension is a key component of the strategies and objectives of the Government's agricultural policy. As part of the Government.s responsibility for the establishment of policies, regulations and projects that will ensure sustained agricultural production, the need for developing a New Agricultural Extension Policy was felt.

This document presents a revised National Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) which sets extension policy directions for transferring technologies to crop, fisheries and livestock sector development. Here, key elements of lesson learnt from existing policy, macroeconomic scenario, agro ecology /bio-ecological zones and current issues in agriculture such as natural disaster, production stagnation, land ownership and tenancy, poor soil health status, decreasing agricultural land, irrigation water scarcity, lack of good agricultural practices, high demand of quality seeds/planting materials etc., livestock and fishery issues including emerging challenges and perspectives have been pointed out for strong consideration.

Power Point Presentation on the New Agricultural Extension Policy.