The food and agriculture sector lies the foundation for a safe, sustainable and healthy diet for the world’s population, is an important sector to ensure employment and reduce poverty. Furthermore, agriculture- and food production is closely linked with climate adaptation and mitigating climate change. 

Denmark and Bangladesh are both countries with a long and proud history within agriculture-, aquaculture and food production. The strategic sector cooperation in food and agriculture is a project between the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) and counterpart authorities in Bangladesh. 

The aim of this SSC-project is to ensure a safe and sustainable food production in Bangladesh by working to ensure food safety in the dairy sector, create a more sustainable dairy production in Bangladesh and to combat AMR in within livestock production. 

Food safety in the dairy sector:
Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health for the nation. 

Bangladesh has several success stories on livestock transformation over the past few decades. The stories reflect successes in the role of investment in spurring transformation in dairy, beef, and poultry. Specifically, the dairy sector is marked by progressive transformation in aggregating milk from smallholder farmers, storage through network of cold chain, and transport to central processing plan for further distribution across the country. However, there are still challenges to address with food safety and quality in Bangladesh. The SSC-project will work to ensure an efficient and safe food safety and food safety control in Bangladesh. 

A more sustainable dairy production:
The livestock and dairy production in Bangladesh is rapidly developing. However, the dairy pro-duction faces challenges with the cow’s emissions of methane as livestock productions emission of methane is responsible for a third of the global greenhouse gas emissions. 

Furthermore, the SSC-project will work towards reducing food waste and loss within the hole value chain for the dairy sector. 

Combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the veterinary sector:
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global public health threats that the humanity is facing and it poses a threat to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Antibiotic resistance is already an emergent issue in Bangladesh, and the overuse of misuse of antibiotics in the veterinary sector is one of the major factors for this. 

The One Health initiative is an important framework for addressing several issues threatening health, including AMR. The essence of One Health approach in tackling AMR is that appropriate and effective collaborative efforts and partnerships are necessary across all the stakeholders including human health, animal health and environment sectors. This workshop will focus on the containment of AMR in the veterinary sector with a focus on animal health. 

Additional information
For more information, please contact Sector Counsellor Maria Stein Knudsen, [email protected].

Improving the Health and Safety of Workers in Bangladesh through the Strengthening of Labour Authorities 

The Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) is a longstanding government-to-government collaboration between Denmark and Bangladesh. It is implemented through a partnership between the labour inspectorates of both the countries. Danish Working Environment Authority (DWEA) and the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, (MoLE) Bangladesh are the implementing partners. The partnership is anchored in a shared vision: to improve occupational safety and health (OSH) in workplaces across Bangladesh.

The Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) project is a high-level bilateral initiative aimed at significantly strengthening occupational health and safety (OSH) standards in Bangladesh. Its core objective is to enhance the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) and the Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) through the transfer of knowledge and expertise from the Danish Working Environment Authority (DWEA).

The collaboration is structured around a mutual learning model, with a strong emphasis on capacity-building through “Train the Trainer” programmes, technical guidance, and strategic engagement with social partners.

Now in its third and final phase (2023–2025), the project is focused on consolidating the results achieved in previous phases and institutionalising sustainable mechanisms within DIFE. DWEA continues to support the integration and practical application of OSH knowledge across inspection systems, ensuring that improvements are durable and embedded within organizational structures and routines.

In addition, the SSC project contributes to the national OSH framework by supporting the development of guidelines, inspection methodologies, and managerial competencies. A key component of this phase is the support to NOSHTRI — the National Occupational Safety and Health Training and Research Institute — in establishing its role as the country’s central institution for OSH research and knowledge dissemination.

As part of broader efforts to promote a sustainable labour market, the Sector Counsellor also oversees Denmark’s contributions to the ILO’s Advancing Decent Work project and facilitates learning opportunities in Denmark through the Danida Fellowship Centre.

10 Years of Achievements: Strengthening Labour Authorities

Since its launch in 2016, the SSC project has significantly contributed to building the capacity of DIFE as a modern, responsive labour inspection authority. Over the course of its three phases, the project has delivered sustainable results:

Creation and Institutionalization of OSH Teams: Eight OSH expert teams were formed within DIFE to specialize in machinery safety, accident prevention, chemical safety, construction safety, ergonomics, crane and boiler safety, and labour friendly dialogue for inspection. These teams developed over 33 national inspection guidelines, 29 of which were approved by the National OSH Council.

Internal Training via DIFE2DIFE: A robust internal training programme was established to train DIFE inspectors on key OSH-issues. By the end of Phase 2, 70% of DIFE inspectors had been trained in four core areas. The training approach was combining theoretical sessions with factory visits to develop best practices based on ground realities. 

Targeted Inspections: Phase 2 introduced targeted inspections in high-risk sectors such as construction. In Dhaka, over a four-month period, 102 inspections were conducted, resulting in 90 improvement notices related to fall protection and 76 concerning electrical safety—two of the leading causes of worker fatalities in Bangladesh.

Knowledge Sharing and Danish Private Sector Engagement: The project has hosted seminars, workshops, and joint activities with Danish brands and suppliers in Bangladesh. A Sustainable Supply Chain Advisory (SSCA) was formed in 2023 to assist Danish companies in aligning business practices with OSH and sustainability standards.

Development of NOHSTRI: The project supported in the creation of research strategy for the National Occupational Health and Safety Training and Research Institute (NOHSTRI), by involving the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA). The OSH teams have developed over 8 courses for the NOSHTRI and is currently being rolled out to other DIFE inspectors, industry professionals and operators.  

Strengthening DIFE’s Helpline and Website: The project is working to enhance DIFE’s ability to guide workers and employers by improving the Labour Act Help Line and integrating it with the DIFE website.

International Knowledge Exchange: More than 40 DIFE and MoLE officials have visited Denmark for study tours and participated in Danish Fellowship Centre (DFC) training programmes and MSc-level education, which helped infuse Danish OSH practices into Bangladeshi institutions.

This partnership to continue till December 2025. As the project continues in its final phase, the focus remains on ensuring sustainability, local ownership, and continued support to both workers and businesses in building a safer, more resilient labour market.

“Advancing Decent Work in Bangladesh” (ADWiB ), - ILO

Jointly funded by the EU, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark, and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Advancing Decent Work project is a collaborative initiative involving the Government of Bangladesh, as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations. It supports national efforts to reform labour laws and strengthen institutions in line with Bangladesh’s development goals. The project aims to ensure that more Bangladeshi men and women have access to decent work through inclusive policies, accountable institutions, and sustainable business practices.

It focuses on three key areas:
i) Labour law and administration
ii) Sustainable and competitive enterprises
iii) Elimination of child labour

The project is set to run until the end of 2027.  

Bangladesh Climate Advisory Partnership (B-CAP)

The Bangladesh Climate Advisory Partnership (B-CAP) was built on the success of Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) project. Both of these projects are aligned in their goals of promoting sustainable industrial development, and both have direct implications for the labour market.

Both initiatives, supported by Denmark and implemented by IFC, aim to transform Bangladesh’s industrial sectors, particularly textiles and manufacturing-by promoting cleaner, more efficient, and climate-resilient production processes.

The project contributes to creating new types of jobs in areas such as energy management, environmental compliance, and sustainable production. Providing the ground work for Just Transition through climate smart Investments. Additionally, the project will also look into enhancing environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards & gender inclusion. 

Read more about the Bangladesh Climate Advisory Partnership (B-CAP) Project here. 

Additional information
For more information, please contact Sector Counsellor Ole Rosenborg Justesen, [email protected].