Shaping Bangladesh's Path to Improved Food Safety
Md. Ismiel Hossain, ndc, Secretary, Ministry of Food
On May 12, 2024, the Bangladesh Safe Agro Food Efforts (BSAFE) Foundation, in collaboration with the Feed the Future Bangladesh Policy LINK Agricultural Policy Activity (Policy Activity), held a high-level dialogue on “Food Safety Prospects and Opportunities in Bangladesh.” The event showcased the commitment of the Government of Bangladesh, USAID, civil society, and private industry to foster sustainable solutions for food safety challenges, aligning with Bangladesh's vision of becoming a developed nation by 2041.
The presence of unsafe and contaminated food poses significant health risks, and these health impacts have far-reaching economic consequences. For instance, in Dhaka-city alone, the annual economic losses from just six food-borne diseases are estimated to amount to $1.65 billion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The complexity of the challenges in the food safety sector requires the combined efforts and expertise of multiple actors. The dialogue brought together key system actors to explore innovative strategies to bolster food safety strategies and policies in Bangladesh. Md. Ismiel Hossain, ndc (an honorary title given to civil and military officers in Bangladesh who received strategic training from the National Defence College), Secretary of the Ministry of Food, attended as the chief guest with Mia Beers, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security at USAID, and Reed Aeschliman, Mission Director of USAID Bangladesh, as special guests. The dialogue was chaired by Emeritus Professor Dr. Md. Abdus Sattar Mandal, Former Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.
Mia Beers, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS), USAID with Reed Aeschliman, Mission Director, USAID Bangladesh
In his keynote presentation, Anwar Faruque, Former Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Acting President of BSAFE Foundation, revisited the 13 key recommendations to strengthen Bangladesh's food safety policies and systems. These recommendations, stemming from extensive consultations and expert debates facilitated by BSAFE Foundation and Policy Activity, cover various areas such as government coordination, private sector involvement, integrated food safety and nutrition policies, adoption of Good Agricultural Practices, harmonization of standards, pesticide control, technology innovation, reporting mechanisms, hospitality industry regulations, and promotion of collective enterprise.
These recommendations were captured in a Policy Brief that was formally presented to senior leaders in Government including Sadhan Chandra Majumder, MP, Honorable Minister of the Ministry of Food; Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, MP, Honorable Minister of the Ministry of Industries; Wahida Akter, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture; Zakia Sultana, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Industries; and Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce in February 2024.
Commitment to Sustainable Solutions
Throughout the dialogue, stakeholders engaged in dynamic discussions on innovative strategies to enhance food safety policies and systems in Bangladesh. They emphasized the importance of a coordinated approach involving multiple government ministries and departments to improve interagency coordination and clear delineation of roles and responsibilities at the implementation level.
Fawzia Yasmeen, Managing Director, Ispahani Agro Limited
“Ensuring food safety poses a significant challenge, particularly in countries like Bangladesh, where many people prefer buying produce from traditional markets. The decentralized nature of these markets makes them difficult to regulate,” said Ms. Beers.
“Meeting this challenge demands a nuanced strategy. Worldwide, we recognize the vital importance of safe food for health, nutrition, and economic prosperity, but there is no one-size fits all solution. To address this, we’ll need to leverage both local knowledge and global expertise, and that’s where I think USAID can play a role,” she added.
The event highlighted the commitment of USAID and its partners to fostering sustainable solutions to food safety challenges in Bangladesh. These efforts align with the Government of Bangladesh’s drive to address capacity gaps among supply chain actors related to food safety as part of the Bangladesh Perspective Plan to transition to a developed country by 2041, showcasing the crucial interplay between food safety, public health, and national development.
Future Directions and Collaboration
During the dialogue, Md. Ismiel Hossain, ndc, Secretary, Ministry of Food, and the chief guest at the event, emphasized, “Ensuring food safety is not just a responsibility; it's a moral imperative. By fostering collaboration between diverse stakeholders and enacting robust policies, we safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens while advancing our nation's development agenda.”
As the dialogue concluded, a collective resolve emerged to continue supporting the Government of Bangladesh in refining and implementing effective food safety policies. The ongoing partnership between BSAFE Foundation and the Policy Activity will be instrumental in building a resilient and prosperous Bangladesh, marked by enhanced food safety standards and systems.
Having reinforced the food safety policy recommendations in the presence of key leaders from the Government of Bangladesh and USAID, BSAFE Foundation and Policy Activity will continue to engage the four Ministries with cross-cutting food safety roles: Food, Agriculture, Commerce, and Industries. With support from Policy Activity, BSAFE will pursue the advancement of the submitted food safety policy recommendations with leadership from these Ministries and concerned departments under them. Simultaneously, they will support the nationwide rollout of food safety policy sensitization activities. These activities are jointly led by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), and the Directorate of National Consumers’ Rights Protection (DNCRP).