Hidden Hunger in Rural Bangladesh as Poor Farmers Miss Out on National Agricultural Gains

Despite overall gains in agriculture, FAO’s DIEM-Monitoring finds that about 793,000 farming households in Bangladesh remain in urgent need due to chronic poverty, weak assets and poor market access rather than widespread crop failure. Concentrated in climate-vulnerable regions, these households face falling incomes, livestock losses and reliance on damaging coping strategies, making timely, targeted agricultural support critical to prevent deeper exclusion.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Data in Emergencies Monitoring (DIEM-Monitoring) system and in coordination with the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), finds that Bangladesh’s agricultural recovery masks a quieter crisis among its poorest farmers. While national indicators show rising agricultural incomes, stable production and fewer shocks than in previous years, about 793,000 agricultural households, roughly four million people, remain in need of emergency agricultural assistance. This group represents only 2 percent of the agricultural population, yet its vulnerability is deep and persistent, rooted not in widespread collapse but in long-standing poverty, weak assets and limited access to markets and services.

Where Vulnerability Is Most Concentrated

Agricultural households in need are unevenly distributed across the country. The largest concentrations are found in Rangpur and Chattogram divisions, while more than half are located in the Barind and Coastal hotspots, areas historically exposed to floods, cyclones, salinity intrusion and riverbank erosion. Certain districts stand out. Cox’s Bazar and Kurigram have particularly high shares of affected households, at around 9 percent of their total populations. Cox’s Bazar is especially concerning because it does not face unusually high shocks or production problems, yet it records the highest level of food insecurity in the country. This points to a localized crisis driven by entrenched poverty and weak household assets rather than sudden disasters.

Falling Incomes Despite Good Harvests

The persistence of need is striking given recent favourable conditions. The 2025 monsoon season was relatively mild, and agricultural incomes at the national level have generally been rising, supported by strong rice prices and improved market stability. However, these gains have not reached the poorest farmers. Forty-three percent of agricultural households in need reported a decline in their main income compared to the previous year. Importantly, this decline is not mainly due to lower production. Instead, poorer households are far more likely to sell crops and livestock at lower-than-normal prices. Limited bargaining power, small farm size, isolation from markets and distress sales mean that even when harvests are good, returns remain weak.

Livestock Losses and the Poverty Trap

Livestock, especially backyard poultry, plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of vulnerable households. About 71 percent of agricultural households in need depend on small-scale poultry production. Yet animal diseases are widespread, with more than half of livestock producers in need reporting disease-related production difficulties. Poultry mortality, even when seasonal, has serious consequences for the poorest households, leading to reduced food consumption and forced asset sales. Distressed sales of cattle and poultry have increased compared to earlier survey rounds. These losses reinforce a cycle in which households sell productive assets to survive, leaving them less able to invest in farming and more exposed to future shocks.

Coping Strategies That Undermine the Future

The report shows that vulnerability is not just about low income but about how households cope. Nearly two-thirds of agricultural households in need have adopted crisis or emergency coping strategies, such as selling productive assets, consuming seed stocks, harvesting immature crops or sharply cutting spending on fertilizer, feed and veterinary care. While these strategies help families get through immediate hardship, they directly reduce future productivity and income. Access to support systems remains limited. Nearly two-thirds of households in need are excluded from social safety net programmes, and those who do receive support often find it insufficient. Credit access is an even bigger challenge, with more than one-third of households in need denied loans, making it harder to manage rising input costs or recover from losses.

When asked about priorities, households consistently highlight both food assistance and agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizer and tools. These needs are most concentrated in climate-vulnerable districts, underlining the close link between environmental risk and rural poverty. The FAO concludes that timely, well-targeted support, aligned with cropping seasons, livestock health cycles and infrastructure gaps, could prevent further asset depletion and help these households reconnect with Bangladesh’s broader agricultural progress. Without such action, a small but highly vulnerable group risks being permanently left behind.