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‘Right to Food Act’ promulgation stressed in dialogue

Published : Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 754

Speakers at a dialogue in Dhaka on Sunday recommended the government to incorporate the necessity of promulgation of a 'Right to Food Act' and prevent misuse of foods in 'National Pathway Document of Bangladesh' being prepared for the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit to be held this year.
Stakeholders from all corners joined the dialogue organized by the Food Ministry in Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) auditorium in capital's Agargaon.
Food Secretary Dr. Nazmanara Khanum chaired the event while Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder, PKSF Chairman Qazi Khaliquzzaman Ahmed, Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU) Dr. Lutful Hasan, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Country Representative Robert D. Simpson, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Country Director Rudaba Khondker, UNFSS Convener Khaja Abdul Hannan and Food Planning and Monitoring Unit Director General Shahiduzzaman Faruki also spoke in the occasion.  Former member of Planning Commission Zakir Hossain Akanda, Health Services Division Additional Secretary Kazi Zebunnesa Begum, former DG of DAE Hamidur Rahman, former chairman of BARC Dr. Wais Kabir, former DG of Fisheries Department Arif Azad and BRAC University's Prof Kaosar Afsana also joined the event as discussants.
Elaborating the present government's initiatives to ensure food and nutrition safety for the country's people, Sadhan Chandra Majumder said that the present government has taken the country to the level of almost a middle income country. Due to the relentless effort of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh could reduce poverty and hunger.
"Food safety is a basic right of a people. The government is working to ensure it. Along with achieving the target of becoming a food sufficient nation, Bangladesh is now working to ensure nutrition safety. Through the summit, Bangladesh will head towards the achievement," he added. He said investment in human capital and women's empowerment, accompanied by sound macro-economic management with a comfortable balance of payment position, and improved business climate enabled Bangladesh attain lower middle-income country status in 2015.
The proposed 'National Pathway Document of Bangladesh' stated prior to the onset of COVID-19, Bangladesh was on track towards achieving many of the SDG targets, poverty levels declined from 44 percent in 1991 to 15 percent in 2016, based on the international poverty line of USD 190 a day.
It said that the prevalence of undernourishment, stunting, wasting and underweight children below five years are reducing significantly. Access to safe and nutritious diets for all is a priority commitment, but food intake continues to be cereal-dominated, with the per capita daily intake of pulses vegetables, fruits and animal source foods (except fish) remaining between a quarter to one-half of recommended intake values.
There is prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition and increasing incidence of overweight and obesity 'The National Food and Nutrition Security Policy, 2020 (NFNSP) and its 'Plan of Action (2021-2030)' recognize the need for transformation of food systems, it added.








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