21.91% households suffer from food insecurity: BBS

The country's 21.91 per cent of households are suffering from moderate or severe food insecurity, according to the findings of the Food Security Statistics 2023 released Sunday by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

It showed that if the situation is classified by division, then it was found that the highest 1.42 per cent of households are at severe food insecurity in Sylhet Division while the highest 29.98 per cent of households are at moderate or severe food insecurity in Rangpur Division.

On the other hand, the lowest 0.51 per cent of households were at severe food insecurity in Rajshahi Division while the lowest 16.40 per cent of households were at moderate or severe food insecurity in Dhaka Division.

The findings also showed that 0.67 per cent of households experienced severe food insecurity while 22.83 per cent of households had moderate or severe insecurity in the Barishal Division followed by 1.16 per cent of households with severe food insecurity and 19.66 per cent moderate or severe insecurity in the Chattogram Division, 0.64 per cent severe food insecurity and 16.40 per cent moderate or severe food insecurity at Dhaka Division.

The dissemination Programme of the key findings on "Food Security Statistics 2023" was held today at the BBS auditorium in the capital.

Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaz Arefin spoke at the function as the chief guest while Director General, of Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU), Ministry of Food, Md Shahidul Alam and Chief of the General Economics Division (GED) Khan Md Nurul Amin spoke as special guests.

BBS Director General Mohammad Mizanur Rahman chaired the Programme. BBS director Alauddin Al Azad gave the address of welcome while project Director Md Abdul Halim made a PowerPoint presentation on the findings. Statistics and Informatics Division joint Secretary Dr Dipankar Roy moderated the question and answer session.

For conducting the survey data were collected from 29,760 households across the country.

The findings showed that in Khulna Division, some 1.09 per cent of households experienced severe food insecurity while 22.07 per cent of households had moderate or severe food insecurity followed by 0.53 per cent of households with severe food insecurity and 26 per cent of households with moderate and severe food insecurity at Mymensingh Division, 0.51 per cent households at severe insecurity and 25.01 per cent households at moderate and severe insecurity at Rajshahi Division, 0.84 per cent households at severe insecurity while 29.98 per cent households at moderate and severe insecurity at Rangpur Division, 1.42 per cent households at severe food insecurity while 26.48 per cent households at moderate and severe insecurity at Sylhet Division.

If the food insecurity of households is considered by residents, it was found that 0.95 per cent of households are at severe insecurity 24.12 per cent of households at moderate or severe insecurity in the rural areas, 0.67 per cent of households at severe insecurity while 20.77 per cent of households at moderate or severe insecurity in the urban areas.

Besides, some 0.41 per cent of households were in severe insecurity while 11.45 per cent of households at moderate or severe insecurity in city corporation areas.

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Statistics and Informatics Division Secretary Dr Shahnaz Arefin said that the main objective of the survey was to have a clear perception of the food security and insecurity situation in the country.

"This is an important survey for not only BBS but also for the whole of Bangladesh," she added.

Director General of FPMU Md Shahidul Alam said that efforts are on to publish a dashboard on the country's food system.

Mentioning that the wastage of food from the production level to the consumption level varies from 31 per cent to around 50 per cent, he said that if such wastage could be minimized, then food insecurity could be addressed to a large extent.

Considering the growing diverse food intake trend of the country's people, Shahidul said that the definition of food could be changed in the country coming out of the concept of major food like rice and bread.

GED Chief Khan Md Nurul Amin said that this survey would play an important role in assisting the government in preparing food-related policies.

The survey showed that if food insecurity is considered by expenditure quantities, then 1.72 per cent of the poorest suffer from severity while 36.84 per cent of moderate or severe followed by 0.68 per cent poorer witness severity while 24.54 per cent moderate or severe, 0.60 per cent middle class suffer from severe food insecurity while 18.85 per cent moderate or severe.

On the other hand, 0.59 per cent richer class experience severe food insecurity while 14.75 per cent of moderate or severe food insecurity, 0.41 per cent richest class suffer from severe food insecurity while 11.43 per cent of moderate or severe food insecurity.

Considering food insecurity by the status of employment,0.83 per cent of people at work suffer from severity while 21.23 per cent moderate or severe insecurity. Some 0.86 per cent of people who do not work witness severe food insecurity while 22.56 per cent moderate or severe food insecurity.

/KN/