Focus must be given on citizens’ targeted food nutrition

Bangladesh should conduct real-time monitoring of imports and national supply chains for critical commodities to forecast and respond in a timely manner to policy challenges and tackle the impacts of the dragging Russia-Ukraine war. This should be accompanied by efforts to reduce post-harvest loss and enhance access to transportation, processing, and storage services.
A study of Washington-based IFPRI suggested that remedial measures must be taken as soon as possible to address the issue, such as targeted nutrition and social protection interventions, especially in urban areas. Bangladesh imports more than 1.2 million tonnes of fertiliser annually with a large portion coming from Russia. Similarly, wheat consumption has increased as a share of total calories and about 25 per cent of wheat imports came from Ukraine before the war. With a significant portion of its imports coming from Russia and Ukraine, the war has posed a significant threat to wheat supplies.
Seed, fertiliser, and irrigation technologies known as “Green Revolution technologies” have played a major role in the growth of rice production in Bangladesh. Future agricultural growth can be hindered by worsening soil fertility, diminishing access to land and other scarce natural resources, increasing crop vulnerability to pests and diseases, and continuing population growth. While there have been significant improvements in reducing stunting in Bangladesh, it still affects about one out of three children under five. Early childhood malnutrition increases the risk of disease and impairs productivity throughout the life cycle.
Bangladesh has made significant strides in addressing food security. Moving forward, it is critical to build on this progress with evidence-based policies for better nutrition and more sustainable production. Progress in the ensuing nutrition security has been slow despite the increased availability of foods, including staples. Many countries have experienced increasing rates of chronic malnutrition, micro-nutrient deficiency, and obesity over the past 10 years. When food prices undergo sudden and drastic increases, families tend to reduce their consumption of healthy foods and instead consume more staples that are relatively cheaper but less nutritious. The concerned authority must focus on nutrition food production and consumption to evade the nutrition deficiencies of its citizens.