Bangladesh's food production increased significantly in past few decades. We also have progressed in producing fish, vegetables, fruit, milk, egg, cattle and poultry. Yet people here are still unable to avail healthy food. The miserable condition of the food situation in the country is evident in a report on global food security and nutrition by five international organisations including Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
According to the report, around 73 per cent Bangladeshis do not have the capacity to buy healthy food. Bhutan and Sri Lanka topped the South Asian countries in terms of providing healthy food followed by India and Bangladesh. It does not matter which country we are ahead of, and which country we are behind. What is more important than that is whether cent per cent of the people of Bangladesh are getting nutritious food or not. The simple answer is, no. A country's food self-sufficiency does not mean that all people in that country are getting healthy food. Let alone balanced food, Bangladesh has not yet ensured food security for every citizen.
According to the mentioned report, a person in Bangladesh needs to spend about Tk 276 per day for healthy or nutritious food. But three out of four people cannot afford to buy this food. If we really want to build a healthy nation, we need to increase the income of the citizens and also reduce the social inequality.
Abu Elias Linkon,
Banasree, Dhaka,
lightening_sparkle@yahoo.com