Responding to shocks using market-based approaches: insights from RDC Bangladesh

BEAM Grab the Mic webinar
Date: 24th May 2022
Speakers from ACDI/VOCA:
Cuan Opperman, Regional MSD Advisor
Bidowra Khan, Regional Gender and Social Inclusion Advisor
Mark Sevier, Technical Director of Market Systems
This webinar provided insights from Bangladesh’s Rice and Diversified Crops Activity, showcasing practical examples of enterprise pivots and adaptations.
The speakers:
- provided examples of how programmatic and operational responses led to system-level changes within the Bangladesh agricultural market system
- reviewed RDC’s strategies and impact, sharing stories to highlight how scale, sustainability and systemic change were achieved
- discussed how the rapid change of social dynamics and norms created opportunities to support firms to pivot and adapt to the new realities
Our world today is entrenched in systemic challenges - from the impact of COVID-19 on business revenues and growth, to global warming causing floods and droughts in Bangladesh. Solutions to these issues require systems-level approaches and collaborative, multi-stakeholder partnerships. But, many questions remain regarding how market systems activities can support local actors to adapt and respond to market shocks.
A recently completed Outcome harvest assessment concluded: “RDC played a significant role (and in some instances is solely responsible) for the emergence of many consequential changes in the performance of agricultural market systems in Southwest Bangladesh, boosting dynamism, information flows, and growth rates of firms serving farmers.”
Watch the webinar
Further reading
- Blog: Using market-based approaches to respond to shocks: insights from Bangladesh
- RDC Bangladesh on the Programme Index
- Outcome harvest: influencing systemic changes in agricultural market systems in south west Bangladesh
- Agent Banks Advance Community Resilience during COVID-19
- Market Actor Gender Review Checklist
- Tool for Assessing Motivation of Private Sector Partners to Work with Women as Suppliers, Employees, and Consumers
- Applying Social Network Analysis to Analyze Lead Firm Networks