Experts on Wednesday urged developing technologies to reduce significant annual food loss in Bangladesh as the country鈥檚 annual estimated food loss and waste is around 19.4 per cent from production to consumption level.
Bangladesh has made significant strides in food production over the years, but over 2.11 crore tonnes of food like crops, vegetables and fruits are being wasted in different stages from production to post-harvest period, they said.
The experts-- agriculturists, researchers, academics and policymakers-- made the observations at a seminar at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council in Dhaka.
Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Agriculture Organisation jointly organised the seminar on 鈥楻educing Food Loss and Waste for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security鈥� marking World Food Day-2024.
The experts expressed concern over the annual food loss issue, which usually takes place in the country frequently.
Agriculture Adviser Lt Gen (retd) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury spoke at the function as the chief guest while noted scientist and chief scientific officer (Crops) of BARC Md Harunur Rashid presented a key-note paper at the seminar.
Citing statistics of the annual food loss, Harunur Rashid said the annual food loss and waste is over 2,11 crore tonnes at the supply stage while it is around 62.78 lakh tonnes at production stage, 68.81 lakh tonnes at postharvest stage, 32.30 lakh tonnes at processing stage, 31.62 lakh tonnes at distribution and 16.35 lakh tonnes at consumption stages.
Rashid, also the Director of SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), said the per capita annual food waste in Bangladesh is 82 kg while it is 55聽 kg in India, 76 kg in Sri Lanka, 130 kg in Pakistan and 19 kg in Bhutan.
In Bangladesh, estimated annual cereals loss or waste is 12.9 per cent, roots and tubers 36.9 per cent, oil seeds and pulses 10.3 per cent, fruits and vegetables 40.2 per cent, meat products 14.9 per cent, fish and seafood 30.2 per cent, dairy products 17.5 per cent and other food 24.9 per cent, according to the statistics.
The experts identified issues like--lack of knowledge on maturity indices, inadequacy in sorting and grading, no washing or improper washing with polluted waters, inappropriate packaging, transportation problems, rough handling during loading and unloading, lack of pack house and cold storage facilities and lack of improved PH technologies--as the major drawback for food loss in the country.
鈥楤angladesh can guarantee access to food for its expanding population by minimizing food waste,鈥� Rashid in his paper said adding, 鈥楾his requires a holistic strategy, which in effect, can also reduce malnutrition of the people.鈥�
鈥榃e hope that no food scarcity would happen in the country if we can diminish postharvest loss and wastage of food,鈥� said agriculture adviser Lt Gen (retd) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
The adviser however said that the country had made an enormous success in bolstering food production but no significant measures so far have been taken to reduce the postharvest loss and wastage of the food products.
Putting emphasis on public-private partnership investment in the food production sector, Lt. Gen. Alam said, 鈥榃e聽 believe that modern postharvest technology and processing system along with disciplined and modern transportation system can play a聽 pivotal role in curbing a major part of food wastage.鈥�
Additional secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture M Mahmudur Rahman gave the welcome speech while FAO Representative in Bangladesh Jiaoqun Shi and secretary of the Ministry of Food Masudul Hasan spoke at the function as the special guests.
With the secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian in the chair, the seminar was also attended by representatives of different national and international organisations.
