Malnutrition and climate change are two of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today – and they are intrinsically connected. While food systems contribute to land degradation and roughly one-third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, climate change in turn jeopardizes the nutrient quality of staple crops.
Bangladesh: A Case of Dual Challenges
Bangladesh is just one example of how these dual challenges converge. Agriculture practices have degraded large swaths of land, and the country faces increased risks of drought and extreme weather events. Simultaneously, 28% of children under five years old are stunted, while micronutrient deficiencies – such as in iron and folate – remain prevalent, especially among women and girls (UNICEF). These twin crises require innovations that benefit people, the planet, and livelihoods.
BARI MASUR-8 (BM8), a biofortified lentil variety, represents such an innovation that produces multifaceted benefits.
Why Lentils?
Lentil is a vital source of nutrition for millions worldwide, particularly in South Asia, where it serves as an affordable alternative to animal-source proteins for low-income populations. In Bangladesh, lentil plays a crucial role in daily diets.
- Nutritional Benefits: A rich source of essential micronutrients.
- Soil Health: Lentils are nitrogen-fixing crops, which help replenish degraded soils.
- Reduced Environmental Impact: They decrease reliance on chemical fertilizers, lowering environmental harm.
- Lower Carbon Footprint: Lentils produce half the CO₂ emissions per kilogram compared to rice.
What is BARI MASUR-8?
Recognizing the environmental and nutrition challenges in Bangladesh, scientists at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) developed BARI Masur-8 (BM8), an improved lentil cultivar bred for enhanced productivity, superior nutritional content, and resilience.
BM8 emerged from crossing two previous ICARDA varieties and underwent rigorous multi-location trials across diverse agroecological regions of Bangladesh before being released by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) for commercial cultivation in 2015.
Visit to BM8 fields in Rajshahi area of Bangladesh where lentil is grown extensively after the rice harvest (2024).
Key Features of BM8:
- High yields: 1,973 kg/hectare, offering greater income for farmers.
- Disease tolerance: Resistant to Stemphylium blight and root rot.
- Enriched nutrient content:
- Iron (74 mg/kg): Addresses prevalent micronutrient deficiency.
- Zinc (61 mg/kg): Supports immune function.
- Selenium (325 µg/kg): Important antioxidant properties.
How is BM8 Being Utilized in Interventions Today?
Although popular in Bangladeshi diets, per capita consumption of pulses (17g/day) falls below the WHO-recommended 45g/day (HIES 2022). Additionally, only a quarter of Bangladesh’s lentil demand is grown locally. Expanding local production is critical to improving access to this affordable and nutrient-rich food while enhancing livelihoods and building resilient food systems.
GAIN’s Key Interventions:
- Expanding cultivation to new areas: GAIN is working with BARI to popularize BM8 in the riverine islands of northwest Bangladesh, where its cultivation supports sustainable livelihoods for communities already facing climate hazards.
- Improving seed access: GAIN is partnering with the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) to procure BM8 seeds and has already distributed 2kg of seeds each to 1,600 farmers.
- Protecting seeds and reducing food loss: Farmers face seed losses due to disasters like cyclones and flash floods. GAIN is co-developing hermetic storage silos with Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) to protect seeds from climate impacts, moisture, and pests. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) will conduct training and awareness campaigns to commercialize these storage solutions.
Through breeding innovations, strategic partnerships, and farmer training, ICARDA and GAIN’s BM8 interventions are bridging critical gaps between nutrition security and climate resilience—maximizing benefits for both people and the planet.