Dhaka Food Agenda-2041 aims to ensure safe, nutritious, sustainable food

Highlights

• One-fifth of Dhaka's residents live below poverty line and do not have adequate nutrition
• Many more face food insecurity and safety issues
• 40% of Bangladesh's GDP comes from the capital and there is no alternative to provide safe and healthy food for the people
• There is an opportunity for Dhaka to set an example for other cities
• FAO supported the development of the Dhaka Food Agenda-2041 through the Dhaka Food System project

The rapid development of Dhaka has led to a growing disparity in terms of food requirements, affordability, and accessibility, according to a report on the Dhaka Food Agenda-2041 which addresses the pressing issue of ensuring an ample supply of safe, nutritious, and sustainable food for the city's residents.

The Dhaka Food Agenda-2041 was launched through a programme organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operatives (LGRD) and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on Sunday.

LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam, who was present at the launching ceremony as the chief guest, said one-fifth of Dhaka's residents live below the poverty line and do not have adequate nutrition. Many more face food insecurity and safety issues. At the same time, there is a burden of overweight and obesity, malnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies.

"We are moving towards ensuring food quality along with food supply, a move from a rural agrarian economy to an urbanised and industrialised nation. Development, therefore, requires the provision of safe food for all," the minister added.

From 1 September last year, Gulshan Tourism Corporation and Dhaka North have initiated selling safe food in the designated food street on Fridays and Saturdays, said Tazul.

Dhaka South Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and Dhaka North Mayor Md Atiqul Islam were special guests on the occasion.

Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapash said 40% of Bangladesh's GDP comes from the capital and there is no alternative to provide safe and healthy food for the people. The policy is being implemented for all private markets in Dhaka. Modern slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities are also in place.

FAO Representative Robert D Simpson said, "With 20 million people living in the greater Dhaka (Dhaka South, Dhaka North, Narayanganj and Gazipur), it is important to get it right, for the sake of people's health and the planet. There is also an opportunity for Dhaka to set an example for other cities in Bangladesh, and internationally, with a new joined-up approach that meets current challenges and looks to the future."

More than 100 organisations were involved in developing the Dhaka Food Agenda-2041, including government ministries and departments, the private sector, development partners, research institutions, NGOs, and academia.

FAO supported the development of the Dhaka Food Agenda-2041 through the Dhaka Food System project, funded by the Embassy of the Netherlands. Further technical support was provided by Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands. 

Anne van Leeuwen, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Netherlands to Bangladesh, was guest of honour at the launch.

The Dhaka Food Agenda-2041 is based on a food systems approach. Food systems are the public policy decisions, the national and global systems and supply chains, and the individuals and groups that influence what we eat. They are important because what we eat is one of the biggest drivers of health and well-being, and food systems – including production, processing, supply chains, and waste management – have an enormous impact on our planet.

The document, which will support policymaking and urban planning, is aligned with the United Nations Food Systems Summit National Pathway and complements policies, plans, and goals set by Bangladesh, notably the Perspective Plan of Bangladesh 2021-41.