Eradication of Poverty through Community Green Economic Development Utilizing Khas (Government Jurisdiction) Ponds Lessons Learned from Grameen Motsho (Fisheries) O Pashusampad (Livestock) Foundation (GMPF) in Bangladesh

Abstract

Grameen Motsho O Pashusampad (Fisheries and Livestock) Foundation (GMPF)-is a sister organization of Grameen Bank (GB) involves in livestock and fish culture, mobilizing poor people engage in livestock and fish production, agriculture, horticulture, homestead gardening, social forestation and bio-gas plants and other community green income generating economic activities to bring improvement in the quality of life of the poor, in particular of poor women. GMPF is managing leased of 1035 Khas (public) ponds having 2557.3 acres of water bodies and 20 fish seed farms leased from the Government of Bangladesh (Go B) for 25 years. The objectives of this study is to examine the policies, strategies and approaches of GMPF community economic development (CED) and to link CED concept with GMPF activities if it benefits to local poor people in Bangladesh. The study research questions are is Grameen Motsho O Pashu Sampoad Foundation (GMPF) a CED program in Bangladesh? If so, how it works, what approaches and strategies it follows, what are challenges it faces in implementing its programs in Bangladesh. The author writes this paper from his pre-and post-GMPF working experience. The paper contains author's live experience, review literature, secondary data and interpretative method of analysis. GMPF has seven projects - Joygagor farm (JF), Dinajpur farm (DF), Jamuna Borrow-Pits Farm (JMBA), Empowerment of Coastal Fishing Community for Livelihood Security Project (ECFC), Community Livestock and Diary Development Project (CLDDP), Livestock Development Fund (LDF), Livestock Insurance Fund (LIF), Feed Supply and Fodder Cultivation Program (FSFCP) and Community Dairy Enterprises (CDEs). A total of 14451.22 metric ton (MT) of fish was produced by Joygagor farm since inception up to 2006. Fifty percent of the fish went to the share of poor beneficiaries. The Dinajpur farm production of fish during the period 1988-1989 was only 18.60 MT per ha, which increased to 260 MT in 2006. Jamuna borrow-pits farm (JMBA) is a unique example of integrated farming through fish-crop-livestock and social forestation model. It has 1005 women village group members (VGMs) - the only one of its type in Bangladesh. The Author: Visiting Scholar, University of Toronto Associate Professor, Noble International University, USA.