The southern delta is Bangladesh’s vital food basket, feeding the country’s growing population of 180 million through high-input rice production. Yet, climate change, and salinization of soils, together with floods and cyclones, are reducing rice yields. At the same time, the country continues to experience severe micronutrient deficiencies from rice-dominated diets. 

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This study, using an ex-post, quasi-experimental design, collected data on over 1,600 farm households (including recall data) in the Southern delta of Bangladesh to investigate the adoption of salt-tolerant potatoes and sweetpotatoes, especially Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP). The study analyses the impact of adoption on the quality of household diets, productivity and income. The research is being carried out by GOPA Worldwide Consultants on behalf of the Fund for International Agriculture Research (FIA). ​ImpactLoop team members involved are Manuela K. Günther and Dr Sophia Lüttringhaus. 

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The open-access article published by Oxford University's Q Open, can be found here: Beyond Rice: The Rise of Salt-Tolerant Potatoes and Sweetpotatoes in Bangladesh? | Q Open | Oxford Academic