Cut inequality, create jobs to strengthen food security

Bangladesh has made significant progress in ensuring food security over the past two decades. Key indicators such as foodgrain production, cropping intensity, and overall availability have improved notably. Poverty levels have fallen, and access to food has widened.

However, serious challenges remain regarding access, stability, and utilisation. Nutrition gaps persist, with stunting, wasting, and undernourishment affecting millions. Compared with other countries in South Asia, Bangladesh still lags behind in several crucial nutrition indicators.

Besides, concerns about food safety have also grown over the past few decades. Ensuring food security for a growing population, particularly amid shrinking agricultural land, will require bold and innovative strategies.

There is considerable scope to boost agricultural productivity. Embracing technology, advancing mechanisation, and adopting better farming practices are essential steps. Climate change adds another layer of uncertainty, making crop zoning, rational water use, and the development of climate-resilient seeds increasingly vital.

Price stability remains a pressing issue. Farmers must receive fair incentives, while consumers need access to affordable food. Reforming market intermediaries and procurement systems is necessary to address these challenges.

Furthermore, global and regional trade dynamics have influenced Bangladesh at various stages. Our current incentive structure tends to favour foodgrain production, leaving other agricultural subsectors underdeveloped.

Food security is inherently linked to income and purchasing power. To strengthen it, reducing inequality, generating employment, and maintaining steady GDP growth are essential. Ultimately, food security should be recognised as a basic right rather than simply an economic goal. It is my hope that future political manifestos will reflect this critical priority.

The writer is additional director (research) at Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD)