Apart from availability, access to safe nutritious food is crucially important to ensure food security in the country, experts observed at a consultation workshop.
They also stressed the importance of large-scale efforts from the government, civil society and development partners to ensure further sustainable improvement on access to nutritious food and utilisation.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) organized the workshop on the 'Country Programming Strategy and Action Plan (CPSP) 2022-2026' in association with civil society organizations (CSOs) and media at the training hall of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council in the city on Thursday.
The objective of the consultation workshop was to share the outcomes of CPSP and set achievable goals and vision for next five years in ensuring food security as well as sustainable economic development aligned with the FAO, said a press release.
The workshop aims to explore avenues for collaboration and partnership to co-create solutions to the constraints affecting food security, agricultural growth, and employment in the country.
Director General of Food Planning and Monitoring Unit Md Sharifuzzaman Faruki said the food security situation in Bangladesh has improved considerably, especially in terms of availability as output has increased significantly.
"Further sustainable improvements on access to nutritious food and consumption would need renewed extensive efforts involving all parties including the government, civil society and development partners," he said.
Mr Faruki also stressed the importance of increased mass awareness and understanding about transformation of a nutrition-sensitive as well as nutrition-specific food system.
Terming women as the drivers of change for nutrition-sensitive agriculture, he further encouraged productivity and economic empowerment of women as a logical priority on agriculture programmes and policies.
Mizanur Rahman, national governance policy advisor at FAO Bangladesh, chaired the workshop moderated by its market and trade policy advisor Dr Mohammad Monirul Hasan.
Md Nur Ahamed Khondaker, assistant FAO representative (programme), delivered welcome address at the beginning of the workshop.
Speakers, however, encouraged all for an effective group effort for making an achievable and result-oriented strategic consultation plan during the period between 2022 and 2026.
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