Solidaridad Facilitates Asia’s first Mango Regenagri Certification for 500 Mango Farmers

Agrilife24.com:Solidaridad receives Regenagri Certification for its project-supported 500 Mango Farmers through a ceremony organized at the country office in Dhanmondi, Dhaka.  In the last few decades, Bangladesh achieved incredible heights in agriculture. The country ranks 4th in rice production, 4th in fish production, 2ND in jute and jackfruits production, 3rd in vegetables production, 8th in mango production, 7th in potato and guava production and 28th in overall fruit production.

Use of various technologies and other ancillary systems is critical for increasing land productivity to meet the growing food demand for the growing population. Unjudicial use of chemical and harmful pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides, poor irrigation methods, including deforestation that destroying our soil health, bio diversity and environment, as a whole, are responsible for losing land fertility and productivity. Due to the lack of knowledge on ecofriendly farming methods and good agricultural practices, our soil health, quality is deteriorating significantly, while affecting the availability of ground water and negatively impacting human health to a higher extent.  



On the verge of Bangladesh becoming a middle income country, it is estimated that every year around 2 million people moving toward a higher economic class, with an increase in their purchasing power and changed of food behavior. A wider range of consumers are now concern about safe food  and wish to source food grown under good production practices.  

Considering the changed economy and consumer demand and the ecological consequences of poor agricultural practices, Solidaridad from its inception in Bangladesh have concentrated around environment friendly eco system-based production practices and strengthening the market system to improve productivity that builds resilient economies and ensures access to healthy food for the growing rural and urban consumers. Solidaridad developed business models with multi-sectoral approaches for inclusive value chains of agricultural commodities. Multi stakeholders’ platforms (MSPs) have been mobilized to help frame a national action plan for production and marketing of safe mango for domestic consumption and export.



With the increasing demand from the foreign markets, the prospect of mango export from Bangladesh is improving considerably. However, challenges remain to export mango to the EU countries to comply with the conditions imposed with regard to safety and pest control. There are multiple needs to be complied with, which includes adoption of Good Agricultural Practices through contract farming, record keeping and traceability, pest management, implementation of HAACP, proper harvesting, packaging, inspection at the time of shipping through laboratory testing and quality assurance. Production of safe and pest-free mango and its marketing in the national and international markets could only be ensured through contract farming.

Considering this, Solidaridad in collaboration with the Plant Quarantine Wing of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) has taken an initiative to produce and market pest free and safe mango by applying control mechanisms during production, processing, certification and shipping.

Solidaridad with support from DAE and mango exporters association has taken a conservation and rehabilitation approach of mango farming systems from July 2021. As a part of this initiative, in 2022, Solidaridad in partnership with Control Union UK Limited, a renowned certification agency signed an agreement for 500 smallholder mango farmers for regenagri certification.  It focuses on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, enhancing ecosystem services, supporting bio sequestration and increasing resilience to climate change.



Under this scheme, 500 mango farmers within the cluster covering 187.291 hectares of land in Satkhira Sadar, Kollaroa and Talla upzilla were divided into groups with GIS based location map. The cluster developed 13 lead farmers and 13 input shop entrepreneurs to work on the ground. Solidaridad expert team provided intensive training to the farmers on plantation of cover crops, netting the orchard, using Bio pesticides, compost, and ensure efficient use of water and energy in the orchard. In addition, the intervention has ensured judicial use of chemicals, health and safety measures and maintain farm record book for traceability to ensure every component of the checklist of the certification requirements.



On May 30, 2022, 500 Solidaridad-supported mango farmers were awarded regenagri certificate for 3 years (Certificate N: CU-885513-F, COMPANY N: 395056) from Certifier Control Union UK Limited, United Kingdom. This is the first time in the world the mango farmers received regenagri certification and Solidaridad is the first organization who have initiated this certification scheme. Regenerative agriculture broadly encompasses both the combination of conservation agriculture and sustainable techniques. To restore degraded lands, regenerative agriculture practices such as crop diversification, tree planting, reduced tillage, mulching, and water conservation techniques spur benefits for farmers. The Regenerative Agriculture (a globally accepted standard) lays down four key principles which the project has adopted: (1) creating positive impacts from agricultural practices on soil health, water and air quality, carbon capture and biodiversity (2) enable local communities to protect and improve their environment and wellbeing (3) Produce crops with sufficient yield and nutritional quality, and (4) optimize the use of renewable resources while minimizing the use of non-renewable resources.

In ceremony, Mr. Selim Reza Hasan, Country Manager of Solidaridad Network Asia in Bangladesh mentioned that it is a milestone that Solidaridad crossed by facilitating 500 mango farmers in Bangladesh to receive Regenagri certificate first time in Bangladesh and first time in the world for mango. Regenerative agriculture is a proven concept of conservation agriculture that contributes to restore degraded land for increasing biodiversity and carbon capture to protect and improve environment. Solidaridad will scale the Regengri practices in Bangladesh to transform the agricultural practices for increasing soil health, encouraging biodiversity, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering CO2 for the market uptake of safe and sustainable food.

Mr. Md. Fakhrul Islam Khan, Managing Director of Control Union in Bangladesh also expressed his keen interest to support Solidaridad and other civil society organizations, government and private sectors in their agricultural and industrial initiatives to proceed for certification as a pathway to enhance the sustainability agenda of the emerging global markets. He stated that Control Union is already in conversation with multiple stakeholders for providing certification as a way forward towards the sectoral transformation.

Among others, Md. Moziball Haque, Senior Manager, Supply Chain and Business Development, Solidaridad, Mr. Indu Bhushan Roy, Senior Programme Manager, Solidaridad, Ipshita Habib, Manager, Resource Mobilisation and Advocacy, Solidaridad were present.

Through this certification, Bangladesh will be able to brand its high quality mangoes in the modern retail chains of EU countries.