"Everyone must participate in the effort to end hunger." The UN has adopted the SDGs, a long-term plan aiming to end severe hunger and poverty by 2030. This plan emphasizes sustainable global routes and aims to make the future better and safer for everyone. Member nations are committed to achieving these targets, promoting equality, and ensuring no one is left behind. Bangladesh has already made significant strides in tackling poverty and hunger, with the issue included in its 7th five-year plan.The concept of "zero hunger" emphasizes the elimination of socioeconomic, gender, political, and environmental barriers to food availability to close the nutrition gap.
Bangladesh has been grappling with high poverty and hunger rates since its independence. The government has implemented initiatives to reduce hunger, end malnutrition, and increase agricultural production. They also aim to prepare for natural disasters by preserving seed diversity. International cooperation and rural infrastructure financing are crucial. However, more investment in livestock gene banks, technological development, and research is needed to increase agricultural productivity.
Under the government, initiatives are as follows: The National Food and Nutrition Security Policy- 2020 was adopted to ensure food security and nutrition. National Agriculture Research Council/ Institute, BD Livestock Research Institute, Rice Research Institute, National Agriculture Extension Policy- 2012, BRDB, Economic Zones, Vulnerable Group Feeding (165 crore BDT), Food for Work and Test Relief in 1974, National Food Policy 2006, National Nutrition Policy 2015, BD Country Strategic Plan (2022-2026), Employment Generation Program 2008, Old, Widow, and Disable Allowances about 3.5 million people, School Feeding Program 2011, and Youth Ending Hunger Project since 1995 trained 27000 youth leaders across the country. Bangladesh has made significant progress in reducing the global hunger rate, with a 5% reduction from 2001 to 2020. The country ranks 81st in the Global Hunger Index for 2023, with a 19.0 hunger score. Additionally, child mortality, stunting, and undernourishment rates have decreased by 9.8% since 2014. Bangladesh faces challenges like underweight children, acute waste, chronic detention, and stunting.Malnutrition is the leading cause of death in children under five in Bangladesh, with less than half of the 50 million food-insecure people having access to food security network projects. In affluent families, 26% of children under five are malnourished, and 12% are short for their age. Rural areas are most vulnerable, with long-term problems affecting women and contributing to chronic ailments.According to the Global Health Divisions Child Health Index, Sylhet has a high rate of both child stunting (49.5% of children) and child mortality (6.7%). However, rates are much lower in Barisal (3.5%) and Khulna (28.1%) than in the rest of the country. There were more female heads of families than male heads of households in the hungry population (65% vs. 35%).
According to the World Food Programme, our country has 36% malnutrition and 74% food insecurity. Furthermore, 16.5 million peoples livelihoods directly rely on the efforts of small-scale food producers, who are responsible for 32% of overall economic production.Bangladeshs child stunting rate is high at 28.0%, despite increased household economic development and positive trends in health, sanitation, and population. Food insecurity is a major issue, with rising sea levels, extreme weather, and floods threatening the nations food and nutrition security. Natural disasters have devastated the economy and lives of the people in the last two decades. Agriculture, accounting for 20% of GDP and employing 65% of the working population, is fraught with peril. Climate change is predicted to reduce agricultural GDP by 3.1% annually, affecting the entire food chain. The World Bank estimates that Bangladesh loses around 1% of its agriculture per year. Despite these challenges, the government plays a vital role in ensuring no one goes hungry by providing food or helping other groups raise funds.
The government must first pay social security benefits to the declining population to overcome the obstacles. Consequently, low-income individuals will have more money to spend, stimulating demand and the economy in general. Second, food security and sustainable development in Bangladesh are at the heart of efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Lastly, people can play a role in the fight against hunger by supporting their neighborhood farmers markets and choosing ecologically conscious food choices. Then, establishing sustainable supply chains is essential for building resilient marketplaces. Finally, supporting and promoting healthy diets is a powerful method for cutting down on wasted food.
The writer is a Postgraduate, Department of Public Administration, Comilla University
