Bangladesh's child nutrition has improved due to various efforts, but still remains suboptimal with progress uneven, according to a report of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) released on last Saturday in Dhaka.
The report was prepared to provide a comprehensive assessment of food security in Bangladesh, with a focus on the core dimensions of availability, access, and utilization, according to an IFPRI release.
The report stated that in 2019, 61.5 percent of childrenunder six months of age were exclusively breastfed, though significant regional variations exist. Stunting among children under five years of age declined from 60 percent in 1996/97 to 24 percent in 2022, yet it remains alarmingly high.
Child wasting decreased from 21 per cent to 11 percent during the same period, although the downward trend has been inconsistent. In 2022, only 28.7 percent of children ages 6-23 months received a minimum acceptable diet, with notable disparities across divisions, it said.
The report stated food availability refers to the sufficient production and supply of food to meet population needs. IFPRI assessed the status of food availability through a variety of relevant factors, such as population, rural land ownership, food production and input use, access to finance and agricultural extension services, and food imports.
Bangladesh has made commendable progress in enhancing agricultural production to support its growing population. However, Bangladesh's large population - 169.83 million people, with 1,151 people per square kilometer, as of the latest census in 2022 - puts immense pressure on agricultural resources, making it challenging to keep pace with the country's growing food needs.
Regarding agricultural growth, it said that over the past decade, agricultural growth has been modest (3-4 percent) compared to stronger growth in national gross domestic product (GDP) of 6 to 8 percent.
The crop and horticulture subsector grew by 3.2 percent in 2022-23, more than its growth of 2.6 percent in 2021-22 and 2.3 percent in 2020-21, rates which were likely lower due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on agricultural activities.
IFPRI estimated that growth in the agricultural sector is 3.1 times more effective in reducing poverty than equivalent growth in nonagricultural sectors of the economy. A comprehensive approach that promotes yield-increasing technological change and a shift to higher-value agricultural production is essential for enhanced agricultural growth and, consequently, faster poverty reduction in Bangladesh.
Disparities in land ownership still persists, the report said, adding that land is crucial for agricultural production, yet 56 percent of rural households are landless. The incidence of landlessness ranges from 47 percent in Khulna Division to 68 per cent in Chattogram.
Regarding rice production, it stated that rice alone accounted for nearly three-quarters, around 73.1 percent, of the country's gross cropped area in 2022-23. Among all divisions, Mymensingh (87.7 percent) and Sylhet (86.4 percent) had the highest shares of rice in gross cropped area.
Since Bangladesh's independence in 1971, rice production has increased fourfold. Annual production grew steadily from 11 million metric tons in 1970-71 to reach 39.1 million metric tons by 2022-23.
Initially, Aman was the predominant rice variety, but its dominance shifted to irrigated Boro rice in the 1990s. The rapid expansion of Boro production through the mid-2000s was spurred by the introduction of high-yielding varieties and expansion of irrigation infrastructure, it added.
More than half (52.5 percent) of Bangladesh's cropped areas is irrigated, with significant disparities by division. In 2022-23, Khulna Division had the highest level of irrigation coverage (71.5 percent), whereas Barishal had the lowest share by far (15.7 percent irrigated land in gross cropped area). Salinity, in both surface and groundwater, largely explains the low level of irrigation coverage in Barishal, it stated.
In 2018-19, around 59 percent of all farmers in Bangladesh cultivated only one crop and 20 percent cultivated only two crops, signifying minimal crop diversification. About 55 percent of all farmers only cultivated rice in 2018-19.
Overall, one-quarter (26 percent) of rural households were net sellers of rice in 2018-19, meaning they consumed less rice than they produced and sold the surplus. However, three-quarters (74 percent) of rural households were net buyers, meaning they consumed more rice than they produced and thus had to purchase additional rice.
Bangladesh relies heavily on imported fertilizers, making it vulnerable to price fluctuations and global supply disruptions, especially from those caused by the Russia-Ukraine war. Fertilizer prices have surged, with urea prices jumping from US$238 per metric ton in 2021 to US$599 per metric ton in 2023.
In 2022/23, domestic urea production accounted for 26 percent of the country's total supply, with the remaining 74 percent imported. Similarly, only about 10 percent of the supply of triple super phosphate was produced domestically, while the other 90 percent was imported.
Instead, many farmers turn to higher-cost credit sources such as microfinance institutes and nongovernmental organizations, and informal sources such as local moneylenders or family and friends, from whom they typically face high interest rates and less favorable repayment terms.
Agricultural extension services play a pivotal role in empowering farmers by providing them with essential knowledge, skills, and techniques to enhance their agricultural practices.
Unfortunately, many farmers in Bangladesh, especially smallholders, lack access to such support. Overall, about 23 percent of all farmers received extension services in 2018/19.
The fisheries subsector contributed 21.7 percent to agricultural GDP and 2.5 percent to national GDP in 2022-23. However, the subsector's growth rate dropped from 4.1 percent in 2020/21 to 2.8 percent in 2022-23, likely due to reduced productivity growth from high feed costs and declines in the fish export trade.
Food access refers to the ability of individuals or households to obtain sufficient safe and nutritious food. IFPRI examined factors such as economic growth, poverty, inequality, agricultural wages, food prices, social protection programs, and employment opportunities, which impact the ability of households to access food.
Poverty has declined substantially over time as GDP has risen Since 1990, Bangladesh has made significant strides in reducing poverty, with the proportion of people living below the upper poverty line dropping from 40.0 percent in 2005 to 18.7 percent in 2022. Over the same period, those living below the lower poverty line, which can be interpreted as the threshold for extreme poverty, also decreased dramatically, from 25.1 percent to 5.6 percent. This decline has been especially pronounced in rural areas.
Bangladesh's average GDP growth rate was 6.6 percent from 2015/16 to 2021/22. With annual population growth of 1.1 percent, per capita GDP increased by 5.6 percent per year. Increases in income have improved access to food.
In July 2024, food inflation reached a record high of 14.1 percent, driven largely by major disruptions to the food supply chain. This surge occurred amid a nationwide student-led movement that disrupted logistics, transportation, and food distribution networks. The growing public discontent culminated in the then-government's fall on August 5. Following the government's collapse, activists curtailed local extortion activities, which had previously added costs for traders and distributors. With these pressures lifted, retail food prices began to decrease in August 2024, easing inflation as supply chains normalized.
Real prices of rice have declined significantly over time, as shown by long-term trends in annual real wholesale prices (adjusted for inflation) of coarse rice from 1981/82 to 2023/24.
Between 1981/82 and 2019/20, the real price of rice dropped by 52 percent, from BDT 52 per kg to BDT 25 per kg. In parallel, rice yields increased 2.5-fold, from 1.3 metric tons per hectare in 1981/82 to 3.2 metric tons per hectare in 2019/20, a rise that was largely driven by yield-enhancing technological advancements in rice production.
In fiscal year (FY) 2016, the government spent US$4.7 billion on social safety net programs, or about 13.6 percent of the total budget and 2.1 percent of the country's GDP. By FY2024, the allocation had surged to US$11.8 billion, representing 16.6 percent of the national budget and 2.5 percent of GDP.
During FY2023/24, Bangladesh had 115 social safety net programs. Five programs received more than 58 percent of the budget but served only 6.2 percent of beneficiaries, leaving the other 110 programs with less than 42 percent of the budget.
A significant share of the budget for these programs-21.7 percent in FY2024-was allocated to the pension program for government employees, which primarily benefits the nonpoor.
In 2022, nearly half, around 45.4 percent, of the total employed population worked in agriculture, followed by 37.6 percent in the service sector and 17.0 percent in the industry sector. Unemployment decreased from 4.6 percent in 2010 to 3.5 percent in 2022, but youth unemployment remains a concern, affecting 11.2 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds and 10.8 percent of 20- to 24-year-olds in 2022. As education levels increase, unemployment rates rise.
Food utilization refers to how well individuals can properly consume and benefit from the foods they access, which depends on factors such as nutrition, health, and hygiene. IFPRI examined child nutrition status; water, sanitation, and hygiene; and menstrual hygiene practices.
