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The IPSEV project empowers Bangladeshi gourd farmers and exporters to move from low compliance with international SPS standards to improved pest control, hygiene, and climate-smart farming. By building public and private sector capacity, the project aims to boost safe vegetable exports, increase incomes, and strengthen Bangladesh’s position in global agricultural trade.
The IPSEV project addresses critical challenges in Bangladesh’s vegetable export sector, which has experienced a sharp decline - despite overall growth in agricultural exports. The root causes include weak compliance with international SPS standards, driven by poor pest control, high pesticide residue, microbial contamination, and inadequate hygiene practices. Smallholder farmers often lack access to training, biopesticides, and climate-smart techniques, while exporters struggle to meet food safety and traceability requirements. Public institutions such as the Department of Agricultural
Extension (DAE) lack the technical tools and systems needed to monitor risks, certify produce, and guide compliance with global standards. These gaps not only lead to frequent border rejections but also limit market access and reduce income opportunities for farmers and exporters alike. The IPSEV project seeks to address these challenges through a targeted, systems-based approach that strengthens the technical capacity of both public and private actors, promotes sustainable farming, and revives Bangladesh’s competitiveness in global vegetable trade.
The IPSEV-Bangladesh project was developed based on a detailed analysis using the STDF’s Prioritising SPS Investment for Market Access (P-IMA) framework. Through consultations with public and private sector stakeholders, key SPS barriers affecting vegetable exports, especially for gourd varieties, were identified and prioritised. Building on these findings, the project was designed to address systemic gaps in pest management, pesticide control, microbial contamination, and food safety practices, aligning with national export strategies and ongoing SPS initiatives.
The project’s theory of change is grounded in addressing the institutional, technical, and behavioural constraints that hinder the adoption of SPS best practices. By building the capacity of public agencies, exporters, and smallholder farmers, IPSEV promotes the implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), and climate-smart farming techniques. A core innovation of the project is the establishment of dedicated SPS training units within BFVAPEA and DAE, combined with the use of digital tools and blended learning models to strengthen pest surveillance, hygiene management, and certification processes.
Key activities include pest risk assessments, development of training materials, rollout of farmer and exporter training, and facilitation of trade linkages with institutional buyers in the EU and UK. The project also introduces practical support for biopesticide use and improved traceability. Through these efforts, IPSEV envisions a safer, more competitive, and inclusive horticulture sector for Bangladesh.