When consumers purchase vegetables, spices, or groceries, they rarely know where those products came from or how they were produced. For many farmers, particularly women farmers, access to reliable markets remains equally uncertain.
Shondhibazar Agro and Foods Ltd. was founded to change both realities.
Shondhibazar Agro and Foods Ltd is building a farm-to-table ecosystem that connects consumers directly with farmers while prioritizing food safety, traceability, and sustainable agricultural practices. Support through the Orange Corners Bangladesh Innovation Fund (OCBIF), an initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, led by SAJIDA Foundation in partnership with YY Ventures, is helping Shondhibazar develop a 5,000-square-foot HACCP- and ISO-certified processing facility in Diabari, strengthening its processing capacity and compliance systems as it prepares for export growth.
Operating from Uttara, Dhaka, Shondhibazar sources products from a network of more than 1,200 trained farmers, including over 400 women farmers, supported through contract farming arrangements, training programs, and guaranteed pricing structures that provide greater income stability. The company’s founder, Jesmin Akhtar Neela, entered the sector after recognizing growing concerns around food safety and the challenges smallholder farmers face within traditional supply chains and set out to build direct relationships between producers and consumers rather than relying on multiple intermediaries.
The result is a business model centered on transparency. Consumers can access chemical-free products with greater confidence about where their food originates, while farmers benefit from stronger market access and more predictable demand. Sustainability runs through the operation, from compost-based farming practices to environmentally conscious packaging, including jute-based materials and recycled glass containers.
Read more: MetLife Invests BDT 50 Crore in EBL Subordinated Bond
More than 5,000 consumers have been served through its growing network, while over 400 women farmers have been integrated into formal agricultural value chains. Thousands of meals have been delivered through its Safe Food Experience Centres, helping raise awareness around healthy food choices. Product samples have already been sent to potential customers in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates markets and have received positive feedback.
Recognition has followed: Shondhibazar has participated in international accelerator programs, received gender-focused entrepreneurship awards, and built partnerships with organizations including the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, FAO, and ITC SheTrades.
Behind these achievements are hundreds of farmers whose livelihoods are becoming more stable through access to fair pricing, technical support, and formal market opportunities.
Over the next several years, Shondhibazar aims to expand across Bangladesh, increase its network to 2,000 contract farmers, strengthen exports, fully operationalize its new processing facility, and continue investing in traceability and quality assurance.
For Shondhibazar, food is about more than consumption. It is about trust, livelihoods, and creating stronger connections between the people who grow food and the people who eat it. In doing so, the company is helping build a safer and more inclusive food system for Bangladesh.
For more updates, be with Markedium.
Leave a comment