September 19, Dhaka: Speakers at a training workshop in Dhaka on Tuesday underscored the need for a balanced approach to meet the food security needs of Bangladesh.The inauguration of the training workshop was held at the BIAM Foundation auditorium in Dhaka city. The workshop aims to increase the analytical capacity of the select government officials thus enabling them to make more effective and efficient food policy decisions and contribute to food policy formulation.
The Integrated Food Policy Research Program (IFPRP) jointly implemented by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Bangladesh Institution of Development Studies (BIDS) and University of Illinois has organized the 5-day long training workshop for select mid-level government officials of Ministry of Food and Directorate General of Food.
Kazi Ali Toufique, Acting Director General of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) who presented the keynote address at the function underscored the need for a balanced approach to food security and said that alternate food intake could increase food security and also ensure nutrition diversity for all.
The 5-day training was inaugurated by Ms Shameema Sultana, Additional Secretary for Ministry of Food with Mr. Ariful Rahman Apu, Additional Director General of Food, in the chair.
In his welcome remarks, Dr. Shahidur Rashid, Senior Research Fellow of IFPRI talked about the ongoing food crisis and said that additional training will enable the policymakers and policy implementers to better manage food stocks.
Kazi Ali Toufique said recent surveys showed that poor people consumed more aquaculture fish than others due to changes in supply and availability. The share of capture fishery has dwindled over the last two decades, yet these fish are richer in micronutrients than aquaculture fish. Thus, a balance between promoting aquaculture and raising capture fish was needed. He noted a significant gap in the supply of dairy products. While milk demand is mostly met with imported milk powder, cattle meat supply heavily depends on animal smuggling from across the border. The bovine population in Bangladesh has decreased from 0.38 per capita to 0.18 over the past few decades, he added.
Dr. Craig Meisner, Senior Research Fellow of IFPRI, highlighted the institute's decades of involvement in training Ministry of Food staff in food policy analysis. He emphasized that this training will equip officials with the latest economic analysis tools, enabling more efficient and effective food policy decisions.
In her speech, Ms. Shameema Sultana, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Food, stressed the importance of training government officials to achieve the mandate of establishing an interactive, digitized food management system. She explained that technical training will empower mid-level policy implementers to contribute to time-appropriate food policies that ensure food security for all.
Mr. Ariful Rahman Apu, Additional Director General of Food, emphasized the changing realities of food security in Bangladesh. He noted that while rice prices have remained stable, there is a significant stock of potatoes that could be utilized if people were more willing to adopt it as a staple. Cultural preferences for parboiled rice over non-parboiled rice have also influenced food management strategies.
The 5-day training sessions will be conducted by a team of renowned researchers, sector specialists, and government officials. These sessions aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of food policy, food security, and food management, offering both a global perspective and a context-specific approach for Bangladesh.
An IFPRI press release noted that each training module is designed to foster collaboration through participatory group work and evaluate trainee performance with formal assessments. This initiative is particularly important as Bangladesh transitions from a traditional food management system to a more digitized approach, and it is expected to support the government’s efforts to enhance food policy and management systems.
Just as players strategize in table games at a casino, this training allows participants to make informed decisions and adopt new tactics for better food policy implementation in the face of changing realities.