Bangladesh needs to take note of the different dimensions pertaining to the use of proper seeds for improving our agricultural output and also facilitating farmers. The present government has already taken significant measures to assist famers within the paradigm of agriculture in Bangladesh.
It is generally noted that the quality of seed determines the quality of the produce and this consequently affects the sustainability of the entire agricultural value chain and also influences everything from crop yield to nutritional value. The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has particularly emphasised that "we cannot have good crops if we do not have quality seeds", a principle that underlines global efforts to improve food and nutritional security.
In this context F. Phiri, Climate Change and Health Advocacy analyst has referred to two related parallel global events during May 18 to 23, 2026 in Lisbon : one on global health by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the other on the importance of seeds to global agriculture and food security, organised by the International Seed Federation (ISF). With a record attendance of more than 1,700 delegates and guests representing over 900 companies and organizations, the discussion called for a collective commitment and action at a moment when the multilateral frameworks underpinning global food and nutritional security are under unprecedented strain.
The Congress took place amid mounting pressure on global agri-food systems, sparked by conflicts and worsened by climate change. It may be recalled that in 2025, two famines were declared in a single year for the first time. This year, in 2026, recent geopolitical tensions continue to threaten global trade and economic stability, while an estimated 700 million people worldwide, primarily in Africa, Western Asia, and South Asia still face hunger each year. Experts have also warned that climate change, including a predicted El Niño event in mid-2026, might push an additional 132 million people into vulnerable contexts pertaining to food and nutrition insecurity within five years due to rising temperatures' impacts on crop yields.
Michael Keller, Secretary General of ISF has interestingly observed that "we are here in Lisbon in record numbers in this critical year because we know that collaboration, innovation, and joint actions are practical and appropriate responses to the scale of the truly global challenges we face now and in the future. Unfortunately, in Africa, non-flexible legal and regulatory frameworks still hamper innovation by private seed companies".
About 2,000 km away in Geneva, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivered a similar message, focused on the theme "Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility", strongly reinforcing the interconnected nature of global health and climate change resilience with several important social determinants of health, including food systems and nutrition. Ghebreyesus also highlighted the importance of not treating health as a standalone sector but rather ensuring that all social determinants of health are well-functioning in support of resilience, sovereignty, and protection of communities from crises.
Some observers in this context have also pointed out that climate change threatens agricultural production, food systems, and access to nutritious food, leading to malnutrition. Analyst F. Phiri has also underlined that malnutrition in turn increases vulnerability to infectious diseases and public health emergencies.
It has also been noted by agricultural analysts from to S&P Global Commodity Insights that seed innovations alone have accounted for 74 per cent of the yield gains observed in crops in the European Union. However, it has also been noted that the global system of crop variety development depends heavily on cross-border trade, with the typical novel varieties of seed bred, tested, produced, and distributed across multiple countries before they reach a farmer's hands.
Arthur Santosh Attavar, ISF President and Managing Chair of the international seed company Indo-American Hybrid Seeds has in this context remarked that "seed companies invest up to 30 per cent of their turnover in research and development because we believe that innovation is key to solving problems at scale and for generations to come. ISF continues to work with national and regional seed associations, as well as governments, to create enabling policy environments that help ensure innovations reach farmers quickly and without unnecessary delays or restrictions."
It may also be noted here that increased climate-induced extreme weather events appears to have induced special efforts to breed 'climate-resilient seed' to withstand not only intensified droughts but also the increased prevalence of pests and diseases related to drought conditions.
In this context the World Bank has also underlined that breeding seed that could go beyond being drought tolerant could be a game changer. Anup Jangwani, Global Director of Farming and Agribusiness at the World Bank Group has also noted, "until now, we have been dealing with climate resilience largely from the drought and sometimes excess rainfall perspective, but can we also start looking at developing seed varieties by building in additional nutritional aspects such as high protein content? At the World Bank, we are looking at different ways of how to build food systems resilience in a holistic way-covering the entire value chain from seed, infrastructure, markets and all the in-between, with a clear focus on sustainability."
"Environmental sustainability", in recent years, appears to have become a catchphrase in the wake of increasing climate impacts. Unfortunately, there have also been some cases of green washing linked to environmental sustainability which has delayed concrete and credible action. Such a scenario appears to have led Sandra Alcobia, who serves as a biologist and is responsible for tourism and visitation, at Companhia das Lezírias the largest agricultural and forestry holding in Portugal, to point out that "environmental sustainability is a lived reality." Established in 1836, the farm boasts 20,000 hectares of land for crop farming, animal rearing and forestry - all premised on the principles of sustainability, emphasizing organic practices.
However, Antonio Farrim, Veterinarian and Director of Agriculture Production at Companhia das Lezírias, believes public awareness is key to the climate-resilient and sustainable agenda and that "governments must take full responsibility for sensitising the public on the health benefits of sustainably grown food."
Head of External Communication at Syngenta, one of the world's biggest agricultural innovation companies, Dimitri Houtart also agrees with the importance of the public awareness narrative. Houtart has pragmatically observed that the growing global population poses a challenge as the global community races to produce enough for everyone, sustainably, with limited land. This, he has pointed out, can only be achieved through innovation and sustained public awareness for uptake of innovative technologies that support high productivity. Such a significant observation needs to be carefully checked and followed in Bangladesh by agricultural journalists in our country especially in this era of social media.
Losses in agricultural crops are largely attributed to pests, diseases, poor storage and climate stress. Analysts have correctly indicated that while technological advancement is acknowledged as a critical means of enhancing agricultural productivity and improving food and nutrition security in many low and middle-income countries it is not implemented with required accountability. This unfortunate approach in implementing innovations in breeding crops is also affecting the possibility of reduction losses in agricultural production before that happens.
Professor Mohammed Ishiyaku of the Institute for Agricultural Research in Nigeria is one of the lead scientists behind Pod Borer Resistant cowpea - a variety developed by Nigerian scientists over three decades, now approved and growing commercially in Nigeria, with regulatory approvals advancing across the region. An international public-private partnership, managed and coordinated by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), is developing Pod-Borer Resistant Cowpeas. Such action has been welcomed as a good initiative.
Sticking with innovation, Bruce Knight of Legume Technology, based in the United Kingdom, has also been conducting trials on how to support smallholder farmers in Africa with affordable means of accessing inoculants for legume seeds. "After 10 years of trials, we have finally got it right; we have developed an affordable inoculant solution for smallholder farmers in Africa. So far, our product has outperformed other inoculant producers on the continent, and we are geared to roll out and support smallholder farmers with this tailor-made solution." says Knight.
One needs to conclude by recalling a well-known health phrase- "You are what you eat". This observation implies that food is the foundation of good health. What you eat dictates your general well-being. Seed, from which most food is cultivated, is therefore the foundation of most favorable health.
Muhammad Zamir, a former Ambassador is an analyst specialised in foreign affairs, right to information and good governance.
muhammadzamir0@gmail.com