Assessing the impacts of integrated farming on food security and livelihoods in a coastal area of Bangladesh

Abstract

Coastal regions of Bangladesh face mounting environmental challenges that threaten agricultural sustainability and food security, with salinity intrusion, climate change impacts, and natural disasters, particularly affecting the south-western areas. While traditional monoculture farming struggles to address these challenges, Integrated Farming (IF) systems that combine rice, fish, and vegetable cultivation show promise. However, there remains a critical knowledge gap regarding the quantifiable benefits of IF compared to conventional practices, particularly in terms of water resource optimization, food security enhancement, and livelihood improvement in saline-prone areas. This study examines the effectiveness of integrated farming systems in Dumuria Upazila, Khulna district, employing a comprehensive analytical framework that uniquely combines the Livelihood Assessment Index (LAI) and Food Security Index (FSI). The research specifically investigates how IF influences irrigation water management, food security status, and overall livelihood outcomes in this moderately saline-prone region of south-western Bangladesh. Using a mixed-method research design, the study gathered data through household surveys, Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), and field measurements. The methodology incorporated the FAO CROPWAT 8.0 model with ClimWAT 2.0 climatic data for irrigation calculations, alongside carefully constructed multi-dimensional indicators for assessing food security and livelihood impacts. This approach enabled a holistic evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative aspects of farming system performance. The analysis yielded an LAI score of 0.60, indicating moderate livelihood outcomes across human, financial, physical, social, and natural capital dimensions. Similarly, the FSI score of 0.70 demonstrates moderate food security achievement across availability, access, utilization, and stability parameters. Despite these positive outcomes, the study identified persistent challenges including inadequate irrigation infrastructure and production variability. Nevertheless, Integrated Farming practice has some significant potential to for up-scaling, for environmentally sustainable agricultural practice in coastal Bangladesh. In future, more precise and advanced research with higher number of ghers is recommended to shed more light on the benefits and challenges of this practice. This research makes two primary contributions: theoretically, it advances understanding of how integrated farming systems contribute to building resilience in climate-vulnerable coastal regions by establishing clear linkages between sustainable agricultural practices and improved socio-economic outcomes. Practically, it provides evidence-based recommendations for irrigation water management and resource optimization that can guide policymakers, extension services, and development practitioners in fostering sustainable agricultural systems. These findings have particular significance for developing resilient farming approaches in coastal regions facing similar environmental challenges globally.