National AMR context
Bangladesh faces a critical AMR challenge requiring coordinated action across human, animal, and environmental health. The country’s National Action Plans (2017–2022 and 2023–2028), aligned with the WHO Global Action Plan, establish priorities for surveillance, stewardship, and regulatory strengthening, though implementation remains constrained by financing gaps and weak enforcement.
The regulatory framework prohibits antimicrobials as growth promoters in animal feed and governs veterinary drug use, but widespread non-compliance persists — including informal feed manufacturing, unregulated drug supply chains, and limited inspection capacity at subnational levels. A dedicated veterinary drug regulatory authority remains absent.
Contract poultry farming in Bangladesh- particularly small- and medium-scale broiler and Sonali chicken farming- is a focal concern, where indiscriminate AMU, self-medication, and retail-driven prescribing are common. Studies report near-universal multidrug resistance in farm-associated E. coli isolates. Contract farming, the sector’s dominant model, shapes antimicrobial access and advice flows, presenting both risks and potential leverage points for stewardship.
International partners including FAO-ECTAD, WOAH, and the Fleming Fund are supporting surveillance and capacity strengthening, though efforts remain fragmented. Integrated evidence on value-chain dynamics, program landscapes, and enforcement bottlenecks is needed to design targeted, nationally aligned interventions.
Problem
Contract poultry farming in Bangladesh, particularly in broiler and Sonali production systems, is expanding rapidly but remains underexplored in terms of AMU practices, value chain dynamics, and policy governance. Contract farming is a production system based on formal or informal agreements that connects integrator companies with smallholder producers defining terms for input supply, production management, and payment arrangements. This scoping study aims to generate actionable, evidence-based insights to inform targeted interventions for optimising AMU and strengthening AMR governance.
Project overview
AMR poses a major threat to animal health, food safety, and public health in Bangladesh, where AMU in poultry production is widespread and largely unregulated. Contract poultry farming, particularly in broiler and Sonali production systems, is expanding rapidly but remains underexplored in terms of AMU practices, value chain dynamics, and policy governance. This scoping study aims to generate actionable, evidence-based insights to inform targeted interventions for optimising AMU and strengthening AMR governance. The study will focus on three objectives: (i) mapping the poultry contract-farming value chain, (ii) reviewing existing AMU/AMR-related programs and farmer training initiatives, and (iii) assessing policy frameworks and enforcement capacity. A qualitative research design will be applied, combining desktop review, field-level qualitative research (focus group discussions, key informant and semi-structured interviews, site observations), and stakeholder validation workshops, with fieldwork conducted in Fulbaria sub-district (broiler farming) and Joypurhat sadar sub-district (Sonali/coloured chicken farming). Findings will be triangulated and benchmarked against international standards.
Intended outcomes
Expected outputs include a detailed value chain map, a consolidated inventory of ongoing AMU/AMR-related programs and training initiatives, an assessment of policy gaps and enforcement challenges, and actionable recommendations for interventions. The results will be disseminated through workshops, policy briefs, peer-reviewed publications, and technical reports, thereby ensuring alignment with the National Action Plan for AMR and supporting future intervention and implementation research.
“Projects like this are critical because they generate the contextual evidence needed to design interventions with confidence — grounded in local realities, existing infrastructure, and the actual needs of the people involved. By mapping the contract farming value chain in Bangladesh, this study creates the foundation for stewardship solutions where farmers and agri-shops retailers can build mutually beneficial relationships that do not rely on unnecessary antimicrobial sales to sustain their livelihoods.”
Claudia Cobo Angel, Science Advisor, ICARS
“By unpacking how contract poultry farming systems shape antimicrobial use, this project will help bridge the gap between policy and practice, ensuring future practical and scalable interventions are grounded in the realities faced by farmers and service providers.”
Md. Taohidul Islam, Professor at BAU & Principal Investigator
