Communication & Engagement Activities
Our team members communicate research results and outcomes through conferences and publications, and engage with stakeholder through regular workshops, key meetings, training programs and research seminars. Some news items are posted below on some recent project activities.
Project News
FBIP Final Review
Our partners, Bihar Agricultural University, hosted the Final Review Meeting, Symposium & Training programme from 28-30 May, 2023. Over 70 people attended for each day, including researchers from all our partner organisations, and many project stakeholders including external reviewers, government representatives, NGOs, and students from various esteemed institutions. Three days of activities ensued and ended with a field visit at Kulla Sundar village of Purnea district on May 31st. A more detailed summary will be written in the upcoming FBIP Newsletter.
The University of Western Australia
Rajshahi University
Our FBIP Project Leader, Associate Professor Fay Rola-Rubzen, was recently interviewed about the the project and the role behavioural economics played in improving technology adoption.
The article was published in the UWA Institute for Agriculture, which has helped to highlight the work of our project partners to an international agricultural-based audience, including farmers, policy makers, researchers and agricultural networks.
To read the article, see page 16 of the newsletter:
The winners of the two lottery prizes for participating in FBIP’s online research surveys have been announced and handed by research partner Rajshahi University (RU). The winners were selected randomly among the online survey participants from within Bangladesh. One of the winners is a university graduate from Dhaka, the capital city, and the other winner, is a current student of Rajshahi University.
In a short prize giving ceremony, the RU team invited the Dean, Faculty of Social Science, University of Rajshahi, as the chief guest. Other RU team members also attended the event. Professor Dr. Elias Hossain, as Dean of Social Science, showed appreciation for the research collaborations among Rajshahi University and other partner institutions. Such research initiatives inspire our researchers and students to get involved with research and explore scientific knowledge. Professor Bijoy Krishna Banik, head of the department of sociology, Prof. Abdur Rashid Sarker, additional director of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell, Prof. Murshida Ferdous Binte Habib, also attended and congratulated the winners and applauded a successful survey.
Our research partners, RDRS Bangladesh, organised an important Research Follow up and Progress Sharing Meeting on 29 June 2022 led by the research team on the FBIP project, with Research Associate Md. Mahafuz Alam presenting RDRS’ research findings. Chief guests attended including Professor Saiful Huda (Hazi Muhammad Danesh Science and Technology University), Md. Manjurul Haque (Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension) and Rajshahi University’s teaching Professor Dr. Farid Khan, who attended virtually to discuss the results of the ongoing research in detail. Key stakeholders such as District Training Officers, Upazilla Agriculture Officers, Sub Assistant Agriculture Officers and Lead Farmers were also present. The key message that is emerging from the research is that acceptance of sustainable agricultural technologies at farmers' levels has become essential for achieving food and nutrition security. The popularization of new agricultural technologies have become crucial to enhance productivity, profitability and farm-household incomes to ensure food and nutrition security of small and marginal farmers.
In collaboration with State Department of Agricultural Economics & Central Leadership, our research partner institute, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (UBKV), convened a one day international workshop entitled “Behavioural Insight in CASI Adoption – What, Why & How?” on 3rd June, 2022 at the UBKV main campus. The UBKV economics team communicated the project’s research findings to an extensive network of stakeholders, including Extension Officers (Department of Agriculture, Government of West Bengal from Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar districts), Scientists of various Krishi Vigyan Kerndras, and Research Scientists and Scholars from various academic departments at UBKV. The workshop was vibrant due to the in-person and online presence of highly renown professionals, including Dr. Swarup Chakraborti (Hon VC of UBKV), Dr. Eric Huttner (ACIAR Programme Manager, Australia), Dr. Fay Rola-Rubzen (FBIP Leader, UWA), Dr. Roy Murray Prior (Agribiz RD & Services, Australia), and Mr. Punarbasu De (Deputy Director of Agriculture and Director of Research, UBKV).
Dr. Huttner conveyed his keen interest in knowing the outcome of this project which may open up new horizon in the dissemination of technological knowhows. Dr. Chakraborti expressed his whole-hearted support for this challenging research field which is becoming important in developing nations like India day by day. Mr De also welcomes such effort from the Team and promises their co-operation for dissemination of the research findings.
Dr. Rola-Rubzen, Prof. K.K. Das and Prof. P.M. Bhattacharya presented technical sessions on the project covering possible explanation towards rather slow adoption of CASI, the major behavioural issues explored by FBIP-UBKV research team relevant for adoption decision of North Bengal farming folk, and results of the randomized control trial on ‘role of pre-commitment & discounting’ in service provision. The positive feedback from participants also stresses the importance of identification of similar types of ‘nudges’ to synergize technology adoption.
Bihar Agricultural University
Our research partners, Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), in collaboration with Zero Budget Natural Farming, convened a workshop on Conservation Agriculture Based Sustainable Intensification (CASI) at Kathaili, Jalalgarh on 18th February, 2022. The total number of participants in the convergence programme was around 125 including dignitaries, scientists, and farmers. It was warming to see around 50 women farmers participating in the programme. The presenters included our project leader, Dr. Ranvir Kumar and BAU’s Director Research, P.K. Singh.
An orientation programme was also organized with the B.Sc. (Agriculture) students of Bhola Paswan Shastri Agricultural College (BPSAC), Purnea to familiarise them on CASI technologies. Dr. Paras Nath, Associate Dean at BPSAC also presented on the day.
Conference Presentations
66th Annual Conference of the Australasian Agricultural & Resource Economics Society (AARES), Resilience in a time of uncertainty, 7 - 11th February, 2022. Online.
Can behavioural factors better explain the adoption of zero tillage technology in wheat farming? Presented by Dr Krishna Timsina from Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Nepal.
Behavioural insights on farmers reservations in adopting Conservation Agriculture. Presented by Dr S M Rahaman from Bihar Agricultural University, India.
Determinants of CASI adoption across EGP: behavioural insights and its implications to scaling-out. Presented by Jon Marx Sarmiento from the University of Philippines, Philippines.
Complexities and solutions from behavioural science when promoting behaviour change in smallholder farming systems. Presented by Roy Murray-Prior from the University of Western Australia, Australia.
Behavioural Profiles of Farmers Insights and Implications for Intervention Designs. Presented by Renato Villano from the University of New England, Australia.
2022 International Conferences for the Australasia Pacific Extension Network (APEN), Facilitating Change and the Opportunity from Disruption, 9 - 11th February 2022. University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Behavioural science insights into improving the adoption of conservation agricultural technologies in the eastern Gangetic plains. Presented by Deepa Roy from Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, India.
Designing behavioural interventions to increase farmers adoption of conservation agriculture-based sustainable intensification technologies. Presented by Roy Murray-Prior from the University of Western Australia, Australia.