ISSN : 1997-1052 (Print)
2227-202X (Online)
 
Call for paper
INSEARCH 2023: 9th International Integrative Research Conference on Governance in… Read more...
Call for Papers for Academic Journals Read more...
Webmail Login
Food Security in Bangladesh: Challenges and their Implications Revisited!
Md. Abu Bakar Siddique
Abstract

The economic growth of Bangladesh strides forward rapidly since 2000 with the decline in extreme poverty rate to 25% in 2014 from 31% of 2010. Nevertheless, Bangladesh is always on the edge of food insecurity due to number of intertwined factors. Still a large number of people remain unable to access food in the quantity, diversity and regularity re     quired for a food secure life. Therefore, this article, by analyzing publicly available data on food security, climate change and Social Safety Nets Programs (SSNPs) of Bangladesh endeavors to critically revisit the underlying challenges and their implications. It finds that the situation of food availability, access and utilization remains challenged considering Bangladesh’s unique context and the emergence of issues such as climate change, food prices crises, and food safety and nutrition concerns. Hence, sustainable food security in the fullest essence is highly debatable here.  It further terms that SSNPs in Bangladesh as weak since most of them are ‘ex-post’ coping initiatives only few remains to be ‘ex-ante’ preventive programs.It also reiterates that failure in‘trade-based entitlement’, ‘labor-based entitlement’ and ‘transfer-based entitle-ment’ for the landless 11 million rural households is potentially generating food insecurity. Additionally, this paper tries to echo that Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 15 of Bangladesh Constitution obligates Bangladesh to take effective actions for ensuring food security for all. This paper concludes with the call for ensuring effective and efficient SSNPs and nutrition including food safety. The legal regime of food security in Bangladesh would therefore, be well advised to be revisited soon.

Keywords: Food Security, Climate change, Social safety Net, Nutrition& Bangladesh.

Full Text: PDF