International Conference on Climate Smart Agriculture and Enterprise Development. APO. Japan September 2, 2021

1. Conference on
Social Empowerment in Agriculture
Nazmul Chowdhury
Innovator and Founder
Pumpkin Plus Agro Innovation Limited
nichowdhury1966@gmail.com
www.pumpkinplud.com
APO Secretariate, Tokyo Japan
September 02, 2021
Transforming Land, Transforming Lives:
An Innovative Agribusiness in Bangladesh

2. Living with Disasters & Coping with Technologies
Hope for Millions Living on the Edge of The Mighty Rivers in Bangladesh
An Innovation for Social Empowerment through Self-resilience
With A Philosophy “How to help them, help themselves” E.F. Schumacher,1966

3. Natural Shocks and Hazards

4. Consequences
Limited
access
to NRM
Food
Insecurit
y Hunger
Rural
Urban
Migration
Social
Isolation
& Gender
Inequality
Limited
Voice &
Choice
Natural
Disasters
&
Shocks
Community
Context

5. The Biggest Challenges
Raising Poverty & Fear of Hunger
Over 20m extreme poor in Bangladesh & 800m in the world are at
Risk of Hunger. FAO,2019.
Recent COVOD19 put another scenerio
200m Children will die due to famine. WFP, 2020

6. The Story of Change:
Started with the Objectives Something is better than Nothing
Pumpkin Plus has born in 2017 to transform Agriculture to an
Agribusiness System
Testing as DRR Model
with over 15000
Extreme Poor
Innovation &
farming pilots
Scale and exports
2004-2008 2009-2016 2014-2017 2017- On ward
Testing business model
With a Vision
“How to help them, help themselves" E.F. Schumacher, The author of the book “Small is Beautiful”
Since December 24, 2004
Ideas…..Incubation…… Innovation and way forward

7. The Way of Transformations: Three Steps Change Model
Transitional
Lands and
Water
Commercial
integration &
Scale
Economic
opportunity
for bigger
change

8. Graduation Model Proposed By Practical Action
Stage
Graduation Stage II
Sustainability &
Growth
Increase Income
Market facilitation
Asset Generation
Community led service
Off Farm
Farm
Capacity Building,
Access to Resources
Y1 Y2
Time
Diversification of Job
Permanent Skill-
Self employment
Graduation Stage I
Production
Food Security
Value Appreciation
& Asset Protection
Institutional
support
Social
Protection
Physical
Protection
Y3
The proven approaches

9. 20m of extreme poor in Bangladesh, who have no resource, among
them over 10m HHs are living in fragile environment and on flood
protection embankment.
1
We have 2709 Sq.Km transitional land in the river system in NW
Bangladesh
2
The innovation is addressing 10/17 SDG Goals, by addressing the
needs of the communities in the process of food production,
processing and marketing.
3
Value Propositions

10. Why We Do?
To achieve Broader changes in four major dimensions i.e. Land & Water,
Food & Nutrition, CC Adaptation and Economic Growth & Graduation

11. Scaling up through Pumpkin Farmers Associations
1
Scale up through NGOs and commercial finance institutions
2
Scale up through Government institutions i.e. Ag. Extension
3
How we move? The Channels for Scale
Scale up through private sector
4
Scale up through donors programs in CC affected zones
5
Scale up through interested institutions (beyond boundaries)
6

12. Resource & opportunity

13. The Way We Transfer Technology:

14. 0- day
150 day
The Production Cycle: September- April

15. Bank for the Poor :

16. Village Based Marketing

17. A total no of beneficiaries = 24000 ++
Total production (since 2005-2021) = 217,000 MT
Worth $26 million (based on local sell @ 10 Tk/kg)
Urban market value = $52 m (2005-2021)
Product distribution

18. Potentials for Scale in Bangladesh
In the GMB River System
A total of 2709 Sq. Km (0.27m Hectares)
transitional lands and Charland
Additionally, 1m ha of Saline affected
lands in South coastlines

19. Impacts To date……

20. Views from the space

21. $ Cost benefit status: 2005-2018
0
100000000
200000000
300000000
400000000
500000000
600000000
700000000
800000000
Total investment
(Tk.)
Total gross
income (Tk.)
Cost benefit No of Beneficiaries 22131
No of Spot 474
Total Area in ha. 3004.2
Total Production (MT) 92000.176
Total investment (Tk.) 153716999
Total gross income (Tk.) 717507204
Cost benefit ratio 1 : 4.67

22. Food Security
Family Nutrition
Reduce burden of
safety net
Lean season
management
Asset generation
How only pumpkin can contribute?
HH Income and
Employment
And
Combating Food insecurity, Hunger, CC shocks and
Socio-economic depressions

23. How Does it FIT for
SDG Goals

24. R & D for crop diversification

25. Contd…….R&D

26. R
&
D

27. Flower production VS future Policy implication

28. Fodder for livestock and risk management

29. Introducing Solar Energy assisted by the Ministry of Agriculture
Honorable Secretary of MoA at spots in February 10, 2021

30. Our Run for 2021 with a
target of 25,000 MT by 150
Days in March
R&D Contd…….

31. Farm2Kitchen
Online Supply Chain

32. Pumpkin Plus: Successful Trail & Harvest 2021: The New Product for Commercial Integration

33. “Asia-pacific gold
award 2017"
Cannes Media
Award 2011
DW Global Ideas 3000 1st FAO WSD-2018 1st UNIDO Agribusiness-2019 Award on Ag. Innovation Award-19
St. Andrews Prize-2013
Global Recognitions
1st FAO – Switzerland Collaboration

34. 2021
Pumpkin Plus Agro Innovation Limited
Most Innovative Start-Up of the Year-2021

35. Exploring Opportunity for Regional Networking
SAARC Delegations’ from 8 countries

36. Dream for the next
Replication in the Regions to benefit million

37. A Regional Policy & Collective
Vision
to
Make it happen
What is urgent NOW?

38. Regional Knowledge Sharing:
Symposium on Organic Agriculture & Youth Entrepreneurship Development in Himalaya Hindukush Regions.
December 18-23, 2019
Honorable Minister of Agriculture & Forest with Secretary of Agriculture and
Director General of ICIMOD with international delegation from 13 countries
Honorable Secretary of
Agriculture of Nepal

39. Role of Pumpkin Plus Producers in Combating Covid19
A total of 142,660 Families were under Food Relief Operations by the Govt. Admin and
Bangladesh Army In NW -Bangladesh

40. Lifeline 2021

41. Journey 20/21 : Performance November – December 2020
Two Districts- 3 Upazila- 09 Unions- 1050 Farmers – 750 ha
Update January 02, 2021 to date

42. Pumpkin Plus R&D 2021

43. The National Agriculture Policy-2018 and Delta Plan 2100 has been incorporated The Innovation
as new Agriculture technology for Riverbed Farming System and Charland Development
Her Choice:
Our Honorable PM’s Vision for Bangladesh

44. An appropriate POLICY can make
A big DIFFERENCE
of the fate of millions in Asia

45. Small Is Beautiful: E.F. Schumacher
THANK YOU
Acknowledgements for their initial contribution over the periods since 2004 till 2016

46. Website Links for further details:
Dealing with the Delta: A life changing innovation for millions in Bangladesh (August 15, 2021)
https://youtu.be/7ZN92tAmdFg
Big Ideas: “How to grow food in land people think is useless”, With Nazmul Islam Chowdhury.
https://medium.com/authority-magazine/big-ideas-how-to-grow-food-in-land-people-think-is-useless-with-nazmul-islam-chowdhury-ce7340a7c396
WE4F Innovators Links- https://we4f.org/innovators/pumpkin-plus
A Grand Challenge of USAID led Consoortium (Sida, NL,GIZ and EU)- www.WE4F.org
BTV Broadcast in March 2021
https://www.facebook.com/nazmul.chowdhury.509/videos/4283219961689433
Transforming Lands, transforming lives: Hope for millions… Nazmul Chowdhury
https://peoplefoodandnature.org/blog/transforming-lands-transforming-lives-hope-for-millions-living-on-the-edge-of-mighty-rivers-in-bangladesh/
Living with disasters, coping with technologies An Innovation for millions through transforming Agriculture to an Agribusiness System for Food Security and
Nutrition for Poor in Bangladesh. Journal of Food Processing & Technology. September 23, 2020
https://www.longdom.org/abstract/living-with-disasters-coping-with-technologiesrnan-innovation-for-millions-through-transforming-agriculture-to-an-rnagri-
57768.html
Bumper pumpkin output helps char people tackling coronavirus situation. March 12, 2021
https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/nation/2021/04/12/bumper-pumpkin-output-helps-char-people-tackling-coronavirus-situation