Prioritise farmers, food security in agrivoltaic projects: Environment Minister Mintoo
Staff Correspondent
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo on Wednesday emphasized that expanding renewable energy through agrivoltaics must keep food security, farmers' rights, and environmental safeguards at its core.
Speaking as the chief guest at a national workshop titled "National Agrivoltaics Workshop: Exploring Local Action Model for Inclusive Growth in Bangladesh" at The Westin Dhaka, the minister noted that dual-use land models offer a realistic path for Bangladesh to generate clean power without sacrificing arable land.
Agrivoltaics offers a promising solution because solar photovoltaic systems and agricultural production can operate on the same land," Mintoo said.
"Properly designed systems can generate clean electricity while continuing crop cultivation, reducing evaporation, improving water-use efficiency, and generating additional income for farmers.
He emphasized that Bangladesh's Renewable Energy Policy 2025 recognizes agrivoltaics, but projects must ensure meaningful agricultural activity and optimized panel designs that do not compromise crop yields.
Placing farmers at the center of these models is critical, the minister warned, ensuring they do not lose land access or receive only nominal benefits. Instead, agrivoltaic systems must secure agricultural livelihoods while providing predictable extra income through uses such as solar irrigation, cold storage, and crop drying.
Presided over by Acting Secretary Dr. Fahmida Khanam, the workshop underscored the importance of robust financial and business models, including carbon financing through cooperative approaches and the Joint Crediting Mechanism, while adhering to national carbon market frameworks.
The workshop was jointly organized by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and HSBC Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Terra Japan, and the Bright Green Energy Foundation, drawing representatives from government bodies, the Embassy of Japan, JICA, financial institutions, and research organizations.
