Call for innovative agri tech to improve farmers’ outcomes

A virtual media tour titled “Role of Innovative Technologies in Addressing Agricultural Challenges” has discussed science-based reporting on innovative agricultural technologies, including biotechnology, with media professionals.

The event highlighted the vast potential of innovative agricultural technologies to improve outcomes for farmers, the environment, and consumers.

The State Department, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) at the U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh, organized the virtual tour moderated by Md. Arif Hossain, CEO, and Executive Director of FFB.

“These new technologies promise to speed up crop development, ensure farmers have access to more sustainable solutions, and give consumers safe, affordable access to food,” said US Embassy Agricultural Attaché Megan Francic.

This virtual tour was part of a series of events to be organized in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Farming Future Bangladesh (FFB), a science-based communication and community engagement organization, facilitated.

The tour provided an overview of communication practices in agricultural reporting, as well as the current status and importance of agricultural biotechnology in Bangladesh.

Specific topics included genome editing, productivity, biosafety, food safety, consumption and diversified use, and regulatory challenges.

Senior journalists from seven print media outlets attended the media tour.

Media personnel interacted with speakers and shared their views on the status, prospects, and challenges of agricultural biotechnology.

Participating journalists expressed that agricultural news needs to be data-driven and correctly represent the science, and they noted the importance of the media staying updated with the fast-paced innovations in agriculture at the national and international levels.