Sheila Petzold

In the steamy heat of a Bangladeshi afternoon, three girls wearing their brightly coloured salwars stand out against a small field of healthy green plants. One speaks intently as they all gaze at the red seeds in her palm. “Such a good yield, and they withstood the rains well too,” she says. “We will save these for next season.”

Sixteen-year-old Champa is the oldest daughter of a farming family ...