Experts urge integrated efforts to tackle food insecurity

Speakers at a discussion on Thursday called for coordinated government action, stronger social protection and research-based policies to tackle food insecurity, rising food prices and malnutrition in Bangladesh.

They made the call at a discussion titled “Food Security Alert: Nutrition, Poverty and Development” organised by Khaadya Odhikar Bangladesh Network at the National Press Club in Dhaka, marking World Food Day 2026.

Mohsin Ali, general secretary of Khaadya Odhikar Bangladesh and executive director of Wave Foundation, said food security must be recognised as a fundamental human right and urged the government to introduce a food rights law to ensure access to adequate food for poor and vulnerable people.

He stressed the need to strengthen public pressure for policy changes and ensure that marginalised communities receive priority in government programmes.

Dr AK Enamul Haque, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), said ensuring food security required affordable access to food, stronger food supply chains and effective measures to prevent adulteration.

He called for reducing agricultural production costs, improving training for food safety workers and examining how income, employment and technological changes affect people's ability to access food.

Enamul Haque also warned that inflation could rise further in the coming winter, putting additional pressure on household budgets. He said the government alone could not address the challenges without changes in food habits and agricultural practices in response to climate change.

Economist and political analyst Prof Dr MM Akash warned that rising prices and a possible economic slowdown could push vulnerable people into deeper hardship. He called for land reform and open discussions with the government to address food rights and food security.

Malte Schümmelfeder, head of programmes at Welthungerhilfe Bangladesh, said women and children were disproportionately affected by climate change and called for greater attention to their needs.

Prof Dr Sayma Haque Bidisha of the University of Dhaka said food security was closely linked to energy security, inflation and nutrition. She called for greater transparency in social protection programmes, increased allocations for the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and measures to support low-income urban households.

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Tania Sharmin, senior adviser on youth, child poverty and economic resilience at Save the Children in Bangladesh, stressed the need for equitable, needs-based interventions to address malnutrition among children and adults.

The discussion was chaired by Mohsin Ali and moderated by Kaniz Fatema, coordinator of Khaadya Odhikar Bangladesh and deputy director of Wave Foundation. Dr Asif M Shahaan of the University of Dhaka presented the keynote paper.

Representatives of civil society organisations, university students and journalists also attended the event.