Agrilife24.com:The Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), convened a national dialogue at Sheraton Dhaka to strengthen national efforts to reduce food loss and waste (FLW) and advance the development of a National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste in Bangladesh.
Held under FAO’s Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) project “Enhancing Food Systems in Bangladesh with Emphasis on the Availability of Safe Foods”, the dialogue brought together government representatives, development partners, researchers and other food-system stakeholders to discuss policy priorities, investment needs and institutional coordination for addressing food loss and waste across the food supply chain.
Food loss and waste undermine food security, farmers’ incomes, natural resources and environmental sustainability. Despite significant progress in food production and availability, Bangladesh continues to face challenges related to post-harvest handling, storage, transportation, processing and food waste at retail and household levels.
The dialogue provided a platform to identify priority areas for action, strengthen interministerial coordination and build consensus on the strategic direction for a nationally owned, evidence-based and measurable approach to reducing food loss and waste. Discussions highlighted the importance of reliable data, improved post-harvest technologies, targeted investments, stronger public-private partnerships and clearly defined institutional responsibilities to reduce losses and make agrifood systems more efficient and sustainable.
Md Mahbubur Rahman, Director General, FPMU, Ministry of Food provided the welcome remarks. The dialogue was also attended by Afroza Khanam, MP and Minister, Ministry of Food, as the Chief Guest while Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh was the Guest of Honor. The event was chaired by Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana, Secretary, Ministry of Food.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Guest emphasised the importance of coordinated national efforts to minimise food loss and waste, strengthen food security and ensure that more food reaches consumers. She said, ‘The Government of Bangladesh is committed to strengthening food security through coordinated action across the entire food supply chain. While we have made remarkable progress in increasing agricultural production and ensuring food availability, reducing food loss and waste remains a national development priority. Through improved technologies, stronger infrastructure, evidence-based policies and partnerships with all stakeholders, we aim to ensure that more of the food we produce reaches consumers, farmers receive greater value for their efforts, and our food systems become more efficient, resilient and sustainable.’
Jiaoqun Shi, FAO Representative in Bangladesh, stated, ‘FAO is pleased to work alongside the Ministry of Food and the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit to support the development of an evidence-based National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste. By strengthening data, identifying priority areas for action and fostering coordinated efforts across the food system, we can help ensure that more of the food Bangladesh produces reaches the people who need it, while supporting farmers’ livelihoods, improving nutrition and making better use of valuable natural resources. FAO remains committed to supporting the Government in translating this strategy into practical action.’
Dia Sanou, Deputy FAO Representative in Bangladesh moderated the keynote presentations and development partner sessions. Keynote presentations were provided by Professor Dr. Md. Monjurul Alam, Senior Precision Agriculture Specialist, FAO, Professor Dr. Nowsad Alam, Department of Fisheries Technology, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). Dr. A.B.M Khaleduzzaman, Director, Department of Livestock Service focusing on crops, fisheries and livestock respectively.
‘The Ministry of Food is committed to translating the outcomes of this National Dialogue into a practical, evidence based and measurable roadmap. We will work closely with relevant ministries, technical experts, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen coordination, prioritize interventions and support the formulation and implementation of Bangladesh’s National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste.’ stated Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana, Secretary, Ministry of Food in his concluding remarks.
The outcomes of the dialogue will inform the ongoing development of the National Strategy for reducing food loss and waste and contribute to broader national priorities on food security, nutrition and sustainable agrifood systems.
Through its partnership with the Ministry of Food and FPMU, FAO continues to support Bangladesh in advancing more resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems, ensuring that food produced is better preserved, utilized and made available to all.
