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A Review Study on Food Consumption and Hovered Nutrition in Bangladesh: Progress and Determinants of Food Security

J. K. Basak
Department of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Sonapur, Noakhali-3814

R. A. M. Titumir
Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000; Bangladesh

M. A. Baten
School of Environmental Science and Management (SESM), Independent University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

N. C. Dey
Research and Evaluation Division, BRAC Centre, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Bangladesh, being a developing country, has made substantial progress in providing food to its large population base over the years, yet the country has been facing challenges from lessening gaps between the food intake for a person in a day and the minimum requirement for balanced nutrition from diet food. Empirical studies have shown that dietary preference and nutrition are closely linked with each other where diet could be seen as an integrated concept of ecological, economic, social, cultural and nutritional requirements. In this article, the authors empirically analyze food production and consumption pattern with nutritional status in Bangladesh. The authors have found that over the last twenty years (1991 to 2010) food production and resultant food intake has increased both in rural and urban areas, but it is increasing mainly in cereal based carbohydrate which is likely to contribute in resolving the problems of inadequate food intake and chronic malnutrition among poor people, leaving inadequate supply and consumption of other elements of a balanced diet. The paper, therefore, recommends that production of non-cereal crops needs to enhance along with providing scope of poor population to access all types of food. For long term food security, the authors have emphasized on all four dimensions of food security (availability, accessibility, utilization and stability) along with implementation of programmes like nutrition education, food fortification, improvement in drinking water quality and public health.

Keywords: Bangladesh, Food production, Consumption, Nutrition, Food security

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Food Safety and Security

Commodity: Fresh and processed food

Objectives:

This research was attempted to explore the trends of changes in food consumption more particularly protein and calorie intake during the period of 1991-92 to 2010. Moreover, the study had tried to analyze food production and consumption pattern with nutritional status in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

The survey study was conducted to collect the data in changing pattern of food consumption and nutrition status at national, rural and urban areas of Bangladesh. The data were collected from Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in the period of 1991-92, 1995-96, 2000, 2005 and 2010. The minimum intake required for balanced nutrition data for different food items collected from Bangladesh National Nutrition Council as cited in GDB (1999). By gathering the required data, some statistical tools were practiced for analyzing and summarizing the result. The literature related to food security and nutrition was also collected from concerned local, national, and international sources. Moreover, a simulation exercise was conducted to estimate the future food demand. Here, per capita food consumption data was considered based on the minimum intake required for balanced nutrition. The projection of future population was estimated based on exponential population growth model. P_t = P_oe^rt

Where P₀= Population of the previous year, P_t= Population of the present year, t = Time interval between previous and present years, r = Annual growth rate of the population. The demand of food was calculated by multiplying the population and the minimum intake required for balanced nutrition data for those specified years.

Source of Information: Bangladesh J. Environ. Sci., Vol. 29, 29-36, 2015

Article Link (Online Journal): https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=http://research.brac.net/new/staff/download/277_9bad4d82180752ecc5d367b2abc181e3&a=gt

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The most important factors beyond the determination of nutrient intake are income, education, occupation and employment status, family/household size, number of young siblings, sex, female participation in economic activities and time spent on food preparation/cooking, male participation in economic activities and living conditions (place of residence, region, etc) of people. Moreover, education is associated with greater awareness of the importance of nutrition, the nutrient content of food, and nutrition options from market purchases or from home production. Besides income and education, income along with nature and status of job is also needed to ensure the quality food intake. Better-employed persons are more likely to have better level of awareness about the dietary intake for a given level of income. Moreover, socio-economic status of household can be improved through transferring knowledge about balanced diet and its usefulness to the household, especially to the mother, improving the status of girl’s education. Besides these, some activities may be set up, like as incorporation of calorie intake and other issues in the text books at school level, focus on agricultural research on dietary quality (research on non-cereal crops), improving technology and legislation for micronutrients fortification, food price policy for increasing the quality and quantity of food, commercial and homestead promotion of poultry, fish and fruits/vegetables.

Knowledge Management: Journal