M. Abdul Latif Mondal
While speaking at a function on November 10 for distribution of agro inputs to flash-flood affected farmers of haor area under Taherpur upazila in Sunamganj district, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said: "We don't want to see that a single person is starving, we are relentlessly working for ensuring food security for every person," adding that her government took "massive programmes including lowering of fertiliser prices for development of agriculture sector and providing huge subsidy to bring agro inputs to the doorsteps of farmers."
Food security is basically defined as "access by all people at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life." While welcoming the PM's resolve to ensure food security we shall have to bear in mind that although food security is not unattainable, it is at the same time very challenging because of a number of highly adverse factors that the country faces.
The key dimensions of food security challenges are: (i) food availability, (ii) access to food, and (iii) utilisation of food. Our discussion on challenges to food security in Bangladesh revolves around these dimensions.
Food availability is the first component of food security. In the context of Bangladesh, domestic food production is the most important component of food availability. Bangladesh has trebled her production of food grains, particularly rice, since independence, from approximately 100 lakh tonnes in 1971-72 to slightly over 3 crore tonnes in 2009-10.
But, can the present trend of food grain production meet the requirements of a burgeoning population? Population growth rate is outpacing food grain growth rate. In its "State of the World Population 2010" report, the UNFPA puts the present population of Bangladesh at 164.4 million (the government says the present population of the country is 146.0 million) and predicts that the country's population will be 220.2 million by 2050. While unveiling the aforesaid UNFPA report as chief guest, Food and Disaster Management Minister Abdur Razzaque reportedly said that the booming population would directly affect the food security of the country.
Building up sufficient stocks of food grains (rice and wheat) in government warehouses is considered indispensable for ensuring food security in Bangladesh. In recent days, the government failed to maintain the food grain stocks of 10 lakh tonnes prescribed by National Food Policy (NFP) 2006, which has sent a wrong signal to the market. Coarse rice is selling at Tk. 34-35 a kilogram, exposing the poor and the vulnerable to food insecurity.
The emphasis placed on rice production has resulted in increased dependency on imports for non-food grain commodities, such as, pulses, oil-seeds and fruits, which remain unaffordable to many consumers, especially poor consumers.
The proverbial "machhey bhatey Bangalee" is now a distant memory because of quick disappearance of farmland and water bodies. Against the demand for 10 million tonnes of vegetables, the current vegetable production in the country is around 2 million tonnes.
Climate change and global warming are going to pose a serious threat to the country's food security by adversely affecting food production. Agricultural scientists have predicted that the country's rice production will decrease by 8% and wheat by 32% by 2050 due to climate change. Other food constituents, including vegetables, pulses and fish would also be adversely affected due to climate change and global warming.
While addressing the 65th Session of the UN General Assembly on September 26, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thus aptly said:"Bangladesh has been adversely affected by global warming. Food security is faced with serious threats due to climate change and global warming. Though our share of carbon emissions is negligible, we are its worst victims."
Availability of food grains or even food does not in itself guarantee food security for all households or individuals in the country. Even when aggregate food supplies are adequate, a number of factors prevent poor households or individuals from having access to required food. These, among others, are: (1) income poverty, and (2) insufficient food assistance.
Food security at household level is closely linked with income poverty. Around 40% of the population lives below poverty line, and this comes to about 60 million as per present total population estimated by the government. They lack adequate purchasing power for procurement of food. Income poverty, which causes food insecurity in the households, results mainly from (a) insufficient government and private sector investment in physical infrastructure, (b) little non-farming activities in rural areas, (c) poor wages of agricultural labour, (d) seasonal unemployment of agricultural labour, and (e) high prices of foodstuffs in comparison with the increase in income level of the poor.
The situation is the worst with the destitute, sick, old and infirm who are incapable of participating in income generating opportunities. According to National Food Policy Plan of Action (NFPPA) 2008, population in this category stands at 7.8%.
Although there has been some improvement in the system of food delivery to the poor, it remains inadequate to supplement their food acquisition capacity in order to enable them to have access to required food.
Utilisation of food, including its nutritional value, is another important component of food security. Various studies on utilisation of food, including utilisation at household level, show (a) inequality in intra-household food allocation, (b) dietary imbalance, and (c) loss of volume, quality and nutritional values because of improper storage, processing and cooking practices.
The PM definitely kept these challenges in view while expressing her government's resolve to ensure food security for "every person" in the country. Bangladesh has huge potential to increase food crop productivity, fisheries and livestock despite climate change effects if right policies are followed. The government should not be complacent with "rejection" of the UNFPA report on the country's current population growth rate and total population.
It must be admitted that the country's family planning programme, that had once drawn global appreciation for its success in reducing the annual population growth rate, has lost its way in recent years. The government has not been much attentive to the field-level service delivery to the eligible couples. This programme needs immediate reactivation. Minister Abdur Razzaque was right when he said: "Booming population will directly affect the food security of the country."
M. Abdul Latif Mondal is a former Secretary
No comments:
Post a Comment