Necessary Measures to Tackle the Food Security Crisis

Md. Jamal Uddin, Daily Inqilab

Food security does not only mean enough food production or stock. Its goal is to make sure everyone gets enough, safe, nutritious and affordable food all year round. Bangladesh has made notable gains in food production. But high food prices, gaps in income and buying power, climate change, limited access to nutritious food and uncertain farm output still challenge food security.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations published its GIEWS Country Brief on Bangladesh a few weeks ago. It says about 1 crore 81 lakh people may face severe food insecurity from September to December 2026. From May to August, the number was about 1 crore 53 lakh. This shows that many people still cannot be sure of getting food, even though production and supply have improved. When the prices of rice, lentils, fish, meat, eggs, milk, oil and vegetables rise, low income families eat less and depend on cheap food instead of nutritious food.

Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) show that general inflation was 8.34 percent and food inflation was 7.22 percent in September 2026. In August, food inflation was 7.02 percent. Even when the inflation rate falls, prices do not go back to the old level. So long term price rises put pressure on the buying power of low and fixed income people.

Floods, cyclones, droughts, salinity, heat waves and uneven rainfall damage crops, fish, livestock and rural infrastructure. The FAO’s 2026 report says floods and landslides damaged crops in the south east and north east from May to July. Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Moulvibazar and Habiganj were among the hit districts. Such disasters cut farmers’ income, disrupt supply and can push food prices up.

The cost of production is also rising, because fertilizer, seed, pesticide, irrigation, fuel, labor and transport cost more. Many small farmers borrow money to farm. If they do not get a fair price for their crops, it becomes hard to invest in the next season. On the other hand, even when consumers pay more, farmers do not always get a fair share. Middlemen, a lack of storage, transport problems and a lack of market information can widen this gap. So along with higher production, we must make sure farmers earn a profit and consumers pay an affordable price.

The same FAO report estimates the 2026 Boro rice output at about 3 crore 19 lakh tons and the Aus output at about 41 lakh tons. Boro supplies about 55 percent of the yearly rice output. But plenty of rice does not ensure balanced nutrition. People also need enough lentils, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, fish, eggs and milk. Limited land, production risk, cost and market uncertainty stop farmers from growing more kinds of crops. So even when people get enough calories, they may lack protein, vitamins and minerals.

Food is lost or loses quality because of weak drying, sorting, packaging, transport and storage after harvest. The country needs more cold storage, cold supply chains and processing for fruits, vegetables, fish and dairy products. A lack of market information, unusual stockpiling, weak competition and poor monitoring can also make prices unstable. Bangladesh imports wheat, edible oil, lentils, maize and some farm inputs. The World Bank’s Food Security Update (September 2026) says that since June, the world price of wheat has risen by 22 percent and maize by 26 percent. It says the overall price of grain products has risen by 18 percent. So it is important to spread import sources and keep the needed stock.

To secure food, the country must first raise productivity. It should focus on high yielding, disease resistant and climate resilient varieties, quality seed, balanced fertilizer, efficient irrigation, farm machines and soil health. It should widen crop variety by region. It should link research institutes, extension services and farmers, so that new technology reaches the field fast. It also needs separate plans for the haor, char, hill and coastal areas.

To ensure fair prices for farmers, the government should check production costs regularly and set a reasonable procurement price. Clear registration and digital payments can help small and marginal farmers join government purchases. Farmer cooperatives, producer groups and direct farmer to consumer markets can reduce the needless influence of middlemen. Low interest loans, crop insurance and help after disasters will also make farmers stronger.

The government should regularly publish data on the production, stock, import and marketing of daily food such as rice, lentils, oil and wheat. It must take legal action against unusual price hikes, illegal stockpiling and unfair trade practices. It should run public stocks so that it can raise market supply in a crisis. It also needs to invest more in rural warehouses, cold storage, collection centers, better packaging, fast transport and processing. It is also urgent to cut food waste in homes, hotels and markets.

Nutrition and social safety programs should give priority to balanced food. The country needs more nutritious school meals, nutrition services for mothers and children, food aid for poor families and targeted cash aid for those hurt by inflation or disasters. It must coordinate and review social safety programs better to find the right people. It must also ensure early weather warnings, water saving technology, rain water storage and stocks of food and farm inputs before disasters.

Above all, food security needs joint action from the ministries and divisions of agriculture, food, commerce, finance, fisheries and livestock, disaster management and local government. Policy and funds should rest on regular surveys, regional risk maps and reliable data. Bangladesh’s food security crisis is not only about a shortfall in production. It also involves buying power, fair prices for farmers, nutrition, the market system and climate risk. So the way to enough, nutritious and affordable food for all will open if we move together on higher production, fair markets, social safety and climate resilient farming.

Author: Chief Scientific Officer, BARI