Speakers at a training course have stressed for developing leadership and communication skill of the small and marginal farmers in food security governance to ensure food security of the extremely poor rural people.

They were addressing concluding ceremony of a three-day training course on 'Development of Leadership and Communication Skill' organised by RDRS Bangladesh at its Thakurgaon Training Centre on Tuesday afternoon.

The training course was arranged for leaders of the farmers' groups under the "Improving Food Security Governance in South & Southeast Asia through Strengthened Participation of Organisations of Marginalised Farmers Regional Project".

The five-year term regional project is being implemented in Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Myanmar to improve livelihood of 10.20 lakh marginalised households, including ethnic communities, with assistance of European Union and Dan Church Aid.

Thirty male and female participants, including 15 leaders of the farmers' groups of Jagannathpur, Debipur and Balia Union Federations in Thakurgaon and 15 others of Hafizabad, Haribhasha and Dhakkamara Union Federations in Panchagarh participated.

Programme Manager (Filed Coordination) of RDRS Bangladesh for Thakurgaon Ziaul Islam attended the inaugural and concluding ceremonies as the chief guest.

Senior Trainer (Human Resources) of RDRS Bangladesh Amal Tikku, its Project Manager of the Food Security Governance Project for Thakurgaon Mahfuz Alam, Agriculture Officers Mahfuzur Rahman for Thakurgaon and Masud Alam for Panchagarh conducted the training course.

The speakers narrated about the project, critical understanding of food and nutrition governance, development of leadership and communication skills of the farmers, rights to food security, human rights, governance, good governance and advocacy for attaining these rights, types and strategies of community advocacy.

They discussed on the local service providing institutions, their services, ways for availing social safety-net facilities, rights to information for good governance, role of the federations in establishing rights to food and good governance, work plans for advocacy.

They said the project is designed to increase participation of members of local small and marginal farmers' organisations in making decision linked to food and nutrition security in Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Myanmar where huge natural resources are available.

The project is mainly aimed at enhancing knowledge of the farmers' organisations on food and nutrition security through promotion and sharing of the eco- friendly indigenous farm practices in climate resilient indigenous technologies in public forums.

The chief guest asked the participants for addressing the loopholes in food and nutrition security policy and practice through conducting collective and organisational advocacy for better food production, procurement and distribution systems.