—Why did you choose to pursue platform studies?
I was impressed by its philosophy of viewing things from a unified, interdisciplinary perspective that extends beyond one’s own specialization. Although my own studies are in the field of tropical agriculture, I value having the ability to view things in a multifaceted light that encompasses economics, plant physiology, and other domains. The School’s philosophy aligns with my own, so I decided to enroll in the interest of gaining deeper insights.
—What research themes are you currently working on?
My research is focused on the relationship between farm management and the size of land ownership among soybean farmers in Bangladesh’s coastal areas. That coastal zone encompasses the world’s largest tropical delta, formed from river sediments that washed down from the Himalayas. Landless people from urban districts migrated to the delta, and farming is their primary livelihood, but the majority are small-scale farmers. Soybean cultivation in Bangladesh became widespread relatively recently, taking off in the early 1990s. Although this region has a tropical monsoon climate with an environment that is ill-suited for soybean farming, the land area under soybean cultivation has continued to expand year after year, led by the coastal districts. Because soybeans are high in fat and protein content, they have become an indispensable crop for Bangladesh’s economic development. However, is soybean cultivation in the tropical delta actually a rational choice for small-scale farmers? What farming practices do they adopt? What methods do they employ on these small tracts of land? Are they managing their farms well? These are some of the questions I plan to explore quantitatively using a statistical approach. For instance, I want to look at the correlation between farmers’ incomes and the scale of farmland they own, how their competitive advantages or disadvantages change in relation to the amount of land and other assets they control, and which crops are best suited to their operations. Understanding their farm management practices will be essential to the sustainable development of agriculture in this region.
—What have you gained through the School of Platforms program?
Frankly, it has been highly stimulating. Although I am very interested in the subjects of agriculture and botany, I did not feel so confident about utilizing informatics or IT tools. However, I discovered that if I integrated informatics into my research, I might be able to actually build a platform for the development of sustainable farming in Bangladesh’s coastal region with a farm management perspective. I am excited about the prospect of seeing my research yield benefits for a broad segment of society. I have also grown more conscious about how my research might advance into a platform to share my findings with Bangladesh’s farming communities.
—What is the platform to you (ideal situations, desirable future, etc.)?
It will help to raise the living standards of farming households in Bangladesh’s coastal areas. Farm management should involve making optimal choices that reflect natural environmental and societal conditions. I hope farmers will be able to utilize open resources to determine which crops and varieties are best suited for their own climate and environment. The impact of climate change is a major issue in Bangladesh. It might be possible to help farmers avoid taking unnecessary risks if it had the ability to forecast disasters with AI or other advanced technologies. Another issue has to do with social conditions. Many small farmers in South Asia raise their crops on leased farmlands; this has led to a culture of farmers lending and leasing their land to each other. I believe it would be desirable to develop a system that can maximize the returns for landholders and tenants alike.
—If the goal is to improve the world just a little from where it stands today, what do you think is needed, or what would you like to do?
Scholars with research backgrounds in informatics and agriculture as well as a variety of other fields are involved in the platform program. This has created a world that I would like to see expanded further in scope. Although I have been continuously engaged in experimental farming and cultivation for quite some time, my research in the doctoral program has shifted toward themes in the social sciences, and that has involved some trial-and-error. An environment where you have someone you can talk to about methodologies or your own problems—that is precisely what a platform should be. I think it is good to have a platform that enables you to work with researchers from other fields and expand your network of communication, as then you can make progress in your own research and even come up with new ideas.
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