Man with eggplant

FEATURE

A Decade of Bt Eggplant’s Impact on Bangladesh

In 2014, Bangladesh became the first nation in South Asia to embrace the commercial cultivation of genetically engineered food crops. With the approval of four varieties of Bt eggplant, a new chapter in agricultural innovation began. Read More.

FEATURE

Women Entrepreneurs Grow Resources in Bangladesh

The Women-led Nursery Enterprise Model is pioneering plant nurseries as a catalytic resource for food and economic security in Bangladesh. The program is laying a pathway for improved social status of women and increased control over resources. Read More.

Recent News

Women entrepreneursBangladeshNews
November 19, 2024

World Food Prize Panel Highlights Need for Women’s Access to Agricultural Technology

Raja Rajeswari Meka, center, with Bangladeshi entrepreneurs involved in Women-led Nursery Enterprise Model. When women farmers gain access to essential technology, the impact extends beyond fields and families—it has the…
Matt Hayes
BangladeshNews
October 30, 2024

Hope Sprouts in Koyra

Bt Brinjal Transforms Farmer Opportunities   In the windswept fields of Koyra Upazila, a coastal district in Bangladesh, vegetable farmers have long endured the challenges of cyclones, salty soils, and…
Matt Hayes
G RadhakrishnanNews
October 30, 2024

G. Radhakrishnan Inducted into World Agriculture Forum Council

G. Radhakrishnan, a prominent agricultural expert, has been inducted into the World Agriculture Forum (WAF) Council, joining a distinguished group of global leaders committed to advancing sustainable agricultural development. The…
Matt Hayes
Ensuring Access to Technology for Women in AgricultureNews
October 28, 2024

World Food Prize Event: Ensuring Access to Technology for Women in Agriculture

Matt Hayes
BangladeshNews
March 31, 2024

Building Resilience: A Decade of Bt Eggplant’s Impact on Bangladesh

In 2014, Bangladesh became the first nation in South Asia to embrace the commercial cultivation of genetically engineered food crops. With the approval of four varieties of Bt eggplant, a…
Matt Hayes
Bt eggplantBangladeshNews
March 24, 2024

Empowering Bangladesh’s Farmers: Groundbreaking Partnership to Boost Eggplant Agriculture and Private Sector Engagement

In a significant stride toward sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh, a newly announced partnership aims to introduce new pest-resistant and disease-tolerant eggplant hybrid varieties that foster enhanced food security while safeguarding…
Matt Hayes
NewsPhilippines
March 15, 2024

Farmers voice support for commercial release of Bt eggplant in the Philippines

Farmers in Tiaong, Quezon, expressed their support for the commercial release of Bt eggplant at the first-ever gathering of the Bt Eggplant Project in the Philippines, Feed the Future-Insect Resistant…
Matt Hayes
BangladeshNews
March 4, 2024

Women entrepreneurs grow resources in Bangladesh

In her rural village in Bangladesh, Moushumi Akhter provides childcare for neighborhood kids out of her small stone home. While it does not bring much in the way of income…
Matt Hayes
EggplantNewsPhilippines
February 20, 2024

The profitability of planting transgenic eggplants

Eggplant is the top vegetable grown in the Philippines, but farmers routinely lose more than 50% of their produce to insects. Bt eggplant could be a game-changer for those farmers.
Matt Hayes
BangladeshNews
January 4, 2024

BARI Recognized with ‘Foodfluencer of the Year’ Award for Bt Brinjal Innovation

Over a decade ago, Bangladesh made a groundbreaking decision to approve its first biotech-derived vegetable crop, Bt brinjal, paving the way for advancements in agricultural science. The Bangladesh Agricultural Research…
Matt Hayes
BangladeshNews
January 2, 2024

New FAO book highlights Bt eggplant success for smallholder farmers in Bangladesh

Agricultural biotechnologies deployed around the world are transforming food systems to produce more nutritious food with less environmental impact, with positive impacts for smallholder farmers in low-income countries. Bt eggplant…
Matt Hayes
Hands holding seedsNews
February 1, 2023

Philippines approves Bt eggplant for commercial cultivation

After 15 years of testing and safety trials, the Philippines has become the second country to allow farmers to grow eggplant varieties genetically modified to resist the devastating insect known…
Matt Hayes
Women gather outside and talk with a scientistNews
September 29, 2022

Bt eggplant nursery project to spur women’s empowerment in Bangladesh

Plant nurseries are a vital element of agriculture in Bangladesh. These small, often family-owned enterprises dedicated to fruit and vegetable sapling cultivation are an age-old income generation activity for farming…
Matt Hayes
Eggplant ImageNews
December 21, 2021

$10M project opens pathways for more pest resilient food options in Asia

A new Cornell-led project will accelerate the application of a proven biotechnology to enhance food and nutritional security in Bangladesh and the Philippines while protecting the health of farmers and…
bteggplant
BangladeshNews
September 17, 2020

The app ‘BtBegun’ provides lifeline for eggplant farmers in Bangladesh

A new app co-developed by Cornell researchers is expected to streamline information-sharing, during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, for farmers growing one of the most important crops for food security…
Matt Hayes
wide view of eggplant farmBangladeshNews
May 28, 2020

Study: Bt eggplant wins market and farmer acceptance in Bangladesh

Farmers have achieved significantly higher yields and revenues by growing genetically engineered, insect-resistant eggplant (Bt brinjal), which has gained market acceptance in Bangladesh, a new study reported.
bteggplant
News
March 10, 2020

Bt eggplant in Bangladesh: Public sector paved the path for success, time now for private sector to step-in!

Historically, private sector companies have been dominating the development, introduction, distribution and growth of biotech crop market around the world.
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Purple eggplantsBangladeshNews
March 9, 2020

Seed Industry Program in Bangladesh

Globally the seed industry is undergoing significant transformation due to rapid strides made in trait development, trait convergence, and smarter reach of products to growers and application of information analytics…
bteggplant
Farmer with basket full of eggplantNews
September 19, 2019

IFPRI study:GMO eggplant cuts pesticide use, boosts farmer profits

A new study confirms that genetically modified pest-resistant eggplant (Bt brinjal) has successfully reduced pesticide use and improved livelihoods among the Bangladeshi farmers who grow it.
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Farmers in the fieldBangladeshNews
May 1, 2019

Bt Brinjal farmers of Bangladesh reaping surplus benefits from the technology

Abdul Hossain, a brinjal growing farmer from Rangpur district of Bangladesh, is into his second year of enjoying the benefits from the cultivation of Bt brinjal in his one-fourth acre…
bteggplant
US Ambassador tours Bt brinjal fieldBangladeshNews
February 22, 2019

US Ambassador to Bangladesh tours Bt brinjal field

The US Ambassador to Bangladesh congratulated the nation on moving forward with genetically modified food crops after viewing a demonstration plot growing pest-resistant Bt brinjal (eggplant).
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BangladeshNews
January 7, 2019

Crop technology improves farmers’ lives in Bangladesh

Mohammad Abul Hossain is living proof that farmers can reap tremendous benefits from agricultural science.
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Participants in trainingNews
February 28, 2018

Stewardship Efforts through Capacity Building Initiatives for Seed Quality Testing

After the successful release of four varieties of Bt eggplant in 2013, adoption rate of the technology among Bangladeshi farmers has increased steadfastly – from 20 farmers in 2013-14 to…
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speaker at workshopNews
December 19, 2017

Policy support, effective stewardship and communication are essential for adopting of agricultural biotechnologies in developing countries

“Political will, policy support, effective stewardship and communication are key to the successful and sustainable adoption of agricultural biotechnology in developing countries,” said Vijay Paranjape, stewardship coordinator of the Feed…
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Researchers in IndiaBangladeshNews
November 9, 2017

Biotech researchers from Bangladesh attend Stewardship training in India

Bangladesh is the first country in South Asia to commercialize a genetically modified food crop – Bt eggplant.
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speaker at workshopNews
November 6, 2017

Stewardship is key for sustenance of Bt eggplant

After its approval in 2013, the number of farmers adopting Bt eggplant in Bangladesh is steadily increasing, from 20 farmers in 2013-14 to 6500 in 2016-17 and is likely to…
bteggplant
wide view of eggplant farmBangladeshNews
September 1, 2017

Experts emphasize stewardship and science-based communications for the development of genetically engineered crops in Bangladesh

Biotechnology and communication experts from international and national research institutes, universities, government and development organisations emphasized the importance of stewardship and coordinated communication about research and development related to genetically…
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purple eggplantsBangladeshNews
May 10, 2017

Bangladesh March for Science

On April 22, people of Bangladesh took to the street to show their support for science.
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workshop discussionNews
May 6, 2017

Workshop on Bt eggplant brings researchers and journalists together

Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) and Feed the Future South Asia Eggplant Improvement Partnership jointly organized a day-long workshop on “Bt Eggplant Research and Development” that brought together representatives from…
bteggplant
bugs and wormsNewsPhilippines
November 10, 2016

Philippines field research shows no negative impacts from Bt eggplant on non-target arthropods

The first-ever field level study of the effects of insect-resistant genetically modified Bt eggplants on non-target arthropod species, carried out in the Philippines by researchers from the University of the Philippines Los…
bteggplant
wide view of eggplant farmNews
August 22, 2016

Matia: GM crop cultivation to continue

The government will continue plans allowing Genetically Modified (GM) crop cultivation, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury told a discussion yesterday on rice production in Asia and food security in Bangladesh.
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Researchers in the PhilippinesNewsPhilippines
June 30, 2016

Bt eggplant close to 100% effective in controlling pests, shows new paper

The genetically modified eggplant known as 'Bt brinjal' provides dramatic control of its most serious insect pest in Asia and eliminates the need for insecticides, according to results just published by scientists in…
bteggplant
scientists, specialists and farmers in a fieldNews
June 20, 2016

Scientists and specialists meet Bt brinjal farmers and researchers in Bangladesh

“There is no substitute for seeing crop production on the ground in-country when you are trying to evaluate a project,” said Joe Huesing, senior biotechnology advisor with USDA-ARS/USAID.
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farmer displaying eggplantsNews
May 2, 2016

Photo Blog- Bt Brinjal in Bangladesh

In 2013 Bangladesh commercialised Bt eggplant, becoming the first developing country in the world to take a public sector genetically modified food crop to benefit smallholder farmers.
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Farmers in the fieldBangladeshNewsPhilippines
March 29, 2016

$4.8 million USAID grant to strengthen biotechnology partnership and improve food security in South Asia

To strengthen capacity to develop and disseminate genetically engineered eggplant in Bangladesh and the Philippines, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded Cornell a $4.8 million, three-year grant.
bteggplant
News
March 4, 2016

Filipino farmer leaders learn from Bt brinjal farmers in Bangladesh

Filipino farmer leaders from Pangasinan, Isabela, Butuan, Bukidnon, and Maguindanao recently participated in a two-day study visit to Bt brinjal (eggplant) farms in Bangladesh last February 23 to 26, 2016.
bteggplant
News
August 11, 2015

Director of General of BARI remarks about Bt Brinjal

Brinjal is a very popular vegetable which is grown year round all over Bangladesh. The brinjal shoot and fruit borer is the key pest of brinjal in this country.
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