Bangladesh

Agriculture

iDE pioneered the development of private-sector supply chains for farmer-friendly technologies, resulting in productivity gains for more than 1.5 million households in Bangladesh by 2004.

Since then, we have combined the promotion of appropriate technologies with strengthened markets by deploying our “Firm to Farm” approach, which connects large national companies with over 30,000 last-mile entrepreneurs. The results are sustainable sources of seeds, fertilizer, and advisory services, along with improved access to buyers and market information, that continue to improve incomes and opportunities.

• USAID Case Study: Scaling Up of Agricultural Machinery in Bangladesh
• Farm Business Advisors: A Global Approach to Linking Remote Farmers to Markets
• FBAs in Bangladesh: Celebrating the Diversity of Entrepreneurship

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

While the public and development sectors have made tremendous progress in promoting hygienic water and sanitation practices in recent years, iDE focuses on catalyzing the country’s private sector to lead the delivery of sustainable WASH solutions for low-income consumers. To do so, we work with national companies that supply toilets and water filters to reconsider low-income people as viable, long-term customers.

In parallel, we support over 1,000 entrepreneurs across the country in becoming more effective and profitable providers of affordable, aspirational, and effective WASH products and services.

• Marketing to Those Who Need It Most
• Integrating Community Approaches to Sanitation (CATS) and Sanitation Marketing
• Solving sanitation from all sides.
• Market Segmentation: A More Effective Approach to Balance Subsidies and Private Sector Engagement
• Reaching Remote Customers by Facilitating Sanitation Business Linkages

Access to Finance

Poor access to effective forms of credit is one of the key constraints for small-scale farmers in improving their productivity and food security. Although many microfinance institutions and NGOs try to fill the financial gap, farmers and micro-entrepreneurs are typically cut off from flexible credit services that understand their unique balance of commercial aspirations and necessities.

iDE employs a “Firm to Farm Finance” approach to rural financing in Bangladesh, which combines farmer-friendly financial product development with bank and microfinance institution partnerships. This approach demonstrates that inclusive lending to small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs is not only possible, but profitable.