Insights from TAFSSA's Agrifood Systems Assessment in Bangladesh

By Archis Banerjee, Suman Chakrabarti, Aklima Parvin, Samuel Scott, Mahajabin Nur Khan, Esha Sarswat, and Julie Ghostlaw  

INTRODUCTION

Food systems refer to the complex network of activities, processes, actors, and infrastructure involved from production through consumption of food. They intersect with every facet of our economy and society, occupying a central role in addressing the world's most urgent challenges and aspirations.

In response to the essential need for data to guide impactful transformations in food systems, the CGIAR Initiative on Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA) designed and conducted an agrifood systems assessment in Rangpur and Rajshahi Districts in northwest Bangladesh to generate an integrated evidence base on farm production, market access, diets, climate risk responses, and natural resource management.

KEY FINDINGS

TAFSSA’s agrifood systems assessment followed a ‘Plate-to-Farm' approach, highlighting what people eat, adolescent diets and aspirations, shopping practices, food markets, agriculture production, women’s empowerment and decision making, and climate adaptation.

Gender disparities in unhealthy eating  

TAFSSA examined food consumption, food security, food sources, and food perceptions. In Rangpur, there was a relatively wide gender gap in the proportion of adults consuming diverse diets (45% of men vs. 30% of women), and very few men (8%) consumed fruits the preceding day. In contrast, in Rajshahi District, about one-third of adults consumed a diverse diet, and the proportion of men that reported consuming fruit the previous day is about 3-times higher than Rangpur (26% in Rajshahi vs. 8% in Rangpur). In both districts, men reported eating more times per day than women and nearly three-quarters of adolescents consumed biscuits or other sweet confections multiple times per week.

Regarding consumption of, perceptions about, and exposure to ads about unhealthy foods, in both districts, about 40% of adults and adolescents consumed sweets and ice cream in the last 24 hours, and 45% of males consumed unhealthy foods in the afternoon. In Rajshahi, exposure to advertisements for unhealthy foods was twice as common among adult males than adult females. Meanwhile, in Rangpur, adolescents had 1.5-times greater exposure to advertisements for unhealthy foods than adults. Most adults and adolescents perceived biscuits as nutritious and safe, more so in Rangpur than Rajshahi (~80% vs. ~60%). Haats (markets) and stalls (booths where vendors provide goods and services) are a major source of unhealthy foods, especially in Rangpur District.

Adolescents drawn by junk food advertising and disinterested in agriculture

Regarding diets and aspirations among adolescents (10-19 years) in Rajshahi and Rangpur, a high proportion of girls and boys attend school, with boys outpacing girls. The findings show that exposure to packaged food advertisements was similar across districts and sex. One salient difference is the percent of adolescents that consumed fruit in the last 24 hours, with only half of the percent in Rangpur compared to what was reported in Rajshahi (<45% vs. <24%).

The proportion of girls and boys that take care of domesticated animals was slightly higher for girls and boys in Rangpur than in Rajshahi. Very few teenagers aspired to be engaged in agriculture in the future as a primary occupation. Moreover, about 44% of parents expected their daughters to be married and unemployed, whereas their sons are expected to be employed and earning a salary.

Rural households mostly purchase food and men primarily do the shopping

While most rural households in Rajshahi and Rangpur purchase their food, local diets are also shaped by own production and gathering. The most common food items produced at home are rice, poultry, and eggs. Foraging for green leafy vegetables is also practiced by some homes.

Most shoppers were male (80-85%) and bought food items from haats, primarily due to distance and convenience. This was observed more so in Rangpur than Rajshahi (78% vs. 68%, respectively). Nearly one-third of shoppers purchased unhealthy foods (28-29%). Very few shoppers perceived healthy foods to be unsafe to eat (6-7%), and likewise, most individuals considered unhealthy foods enjoyable and affordable but unsafe.

Sweets and spoilage are common in food markets

TAFSSA quantified the number of multi-vendor markets and retail shops across 50 villages and the number of grocery stores and restaurants and tea stalls in each village. In Rangpur and Rajshahi, virtually all vendors in multi-vendor markets are male. Most retail stores (82-88%) sold biscuits and sweets. While vendors in both districts reported a high prevalence of fruits spoiling, food wastage at the vendor-level was more prevalent in Rangpur than Rajshahi (80% vs. 67%, respectively).

Agriculture is the backbone of livelihoods

TAFSSA’s findings on agricultural production and use reinforce the continued importance of agriculture. Nearly all households are involved in agriculture, and 87-89% of households in both districts report that cropping has the greatest contribution to household income. Rice was the most produced crop in both districts, along with potato and maize in Rangpur. Across the two districts, approximately 70% of households engaged in selling various farm products, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, poultry, and livestock. They typically sold these products through regulated markets, local markets, or directly to middlemen.

Gender inequities on workload and agency

In terms of women’s labor, nearly three-quarters of women reported experiencing “work pressure.” Only 9% of women reported participating in the workforce, whereas about 92% were engaged in unpaid household activities. Although about 60% of women had personal funds, few possessed a bank account in their name.

Task sharing is more common for agriculture-related work than household-related work. A gendered division of labor emerges within the household: men predominantly engage in on-farm work and market visits, while women provide support toward postharvest activities, food preparation, and caregiving responsibilities. Additionally, adolescents play a role in tasks related to livestock and various food-related activities, such as water-fetching, cooking, and childcare.

Women 20-71 years of age in both districts have, on average, five years of education. Few women reported making decisions alone on their own health in dual adult households, particularly in Rangpur (25% vs. 15%). Nearly three-quarters of women in both districts confirmed that they must get permission to go to a health clinic if they live with adult men. When it comes to cultivation decisions, 14% of women in Rajshahi in households without adult men mad decisions alone on agricultural production, which is half of that reported in Rangpur (31%). Nearly half of women (46%) justified being beaten by their husband in one or more day-to-day scenario in Rajshahi. While the proportion was lower in Rangpur, there were still over one-third of women who rationalized violence being inflicted upon them by their spouse.

Many households confront and adapt to climate shocks

TAFSSA also examined aspects of climate vulnerability and adaptation of households. In Rangpur, 27% of households reported a climate shock in the last two years and most households (80%) adopted response strategies to climate shocks. About 3 out of 5 households (60%) reported accessing weather forecast information. In Rajshahi, over one-third of households (36%) reported a climate shock in the last two years and three-quarters of households (75%) adopted response strategies to climate shocks.

In both districts, 44% of households were landless and virtually all cultivating households (~99%) had access to irrigation. Respondents reported various challenges, including low ownership of assets, dependence on rental markets, limited access to banking and insurance, poor road connectivity, minimal community involvement, and insufficient safety nets.

CONCLUSION

TAFSSA's agrifood systems assessment in Bangladesh provides a snapshot of food system components that are crucial for understanding agricultural dynamics, dietary patterns, market characteristics, shopping practices, and gender roles within households. These insights offer information that can inform future interventions in this region.

LEARN MORE

This blog is based on key takeaways from TAFSSA’s topical district-specific data notes on Bangladesh. All TAFSSA data notes for Bangladesh, India, and Nepal can be found here. TAFSSA’s agrifood systems assessment open access dataset is now available for download. For more information on TAFSSA, please visit the official website: Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia - CGIAR.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Archis Banerjee is a Research Analyst, Suman Chakrabarti is an Associate Research Fellow, Aklima Parvin is a Senior Project Manager, Sam Scott is a Research Fellow, Mahajabin Nur Khan is a Communications Specialist, and Esha Sarswat is a Senior Communications Specialist under the CGIAR Initiative on Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA). Julie Ghostlaw is a Country Program Manager for the IFPRI-Bangladesh Country Office.

Photo Credit: All photos taken by Archis Banerjee/IFPRI/CGIAR TAFSSA