Forum global sur la sécurité alimentaire et la nutrition (Forum FSN)

Ce membre a contribué à/au:

    • 1. Can you share examples on how the bottlenecks listed in the policy brief have been addressed and with which result?

      Bangladesh was in countrywide lockdown since the third week of March, being extended almost seven times until the first of June. During this period the harvesting of Boro rice was to be done. Boro rice contributes to 54% of rice production in Bangladesh and is harvested mostly in May. As the public transports were not functioning, large number of seasonal labors required for harvesting could not move. The farmers were in panic. Several remedies were taken by the government and civil society, those have been:

      1) Organizing special transport for the labor movement; 2) Engage local youth as voluntary labor for harvesting; and 3) Promotion of use of mini combine harvesters.

      Government is providing subsidy/grant to farmers for purchase of mini combine harvester. This grant is included in the Covid-19 agriculture recovery package (of around 90 billion Taka).

      Government has also increased purchase of rice. This year government doubled its Boro rice procurement target compared with the previous year.

      2. What has been the impact of measures to face the COVID-19 pandemic on the exports of food and cash crops?

      Bangladesh is an exporter of tropical fruits, like mango, lychee etc., and vegetables. Since 2015 FAO representation in Bangladesh is supporting mango export. Apparently, the export this year has been hampered. However, a clear picture is not yet available.  

      6. What challenges related to the food value chain have emerged during the relaxing of COVID-19 containment measures?

      The main challenge is now to recover the pandemic losses. Now one rice sowing season (Aus) is in place, and another one (Aman) is coming, or already in place. The previously mentioned support package is also targeting this season. Government asked the farmers not to leave any arable land uncultivated, as Food Security is the most important issue for Bangladesh in the post pandemic period. Bangladesh is losing in two large export sectors, 1) RMG and 2) Remittance. Hence there is an additional challenge to the Agriculture sector.

    • I have experience of working in both FAO and ILO covering the agriculture sector and child labor respectively. Hence from that I like to address the cross-sectoral policies and strategies issue, issue #7. Like any other country, Bangladesh is also very much concerned with child labor. The government drafted a new law in 2018 that raised the minimum age from 12 to 14, i.e. now children aged 14-18 can be involved in light work (Bangladeshi gov't approves draft law banning child labor).

      There are around 5 million working children (age group 5-14) in Bangladesh, 28% of whom are girls, as found in an ILO survey on child labor in Bangladesh. So it is obvious that at least girls are somehow comparatively spare in child labour. Out of the total child workforce, around 56% work in the agriculture. But comparative more girls work in the agriculture sector (55% of the working boys and 59% of the working girls work in the agriculture). So there is a policy issue. Though comparatively less number of girls than boys work as child labors, they (girls) bear the burden of agriculture works more than the boys do. It can also be concluded that in the rural areas (as related to agriculture), girls are being engaged more in child labor. Bangladesh cannot yet eradicate child marriage particularly for the girls (approved age of marriage for girls is 18). So often the girls after marriage remain as a child labor, bearing a huge burden.

      In Bangladesh agriculture labor is not scarce. However, children are used in agriculture as free or very cheap labor, also often as family labors. Bangladesh until now has compulsory primary education (up to grade 5) only (i.e., age 12). There is a discussion to raise that up to junior level (grade 8, ie, age 15/16). When that it would be done, the child labor would be reduced to come extent.

       

       

      1. FAO definition of forest is fine. However, land management system of a country may not use that definition. In Bangladesh a forest is simply a forest land as declared and protected by the government /forestry department. In my opinion 0.5 ha seems too less to be considered as realistic. It might be considered as 1 ha.
      2. The background paper lacks readibility. It might be more reader-friendly. So that it can be used as an advocacy tool.
      3. Primary forest area is simply changed by deforestation, ie, when the forest area is encroached. Sometime forest area is encroached by government (government structute, army installations etc). Then no remedy.
      4.  No comment.
      5.  Also, no comment.

      Thanks.

    • Sustainable soil management includes use of more organic fertilisers, like, vermi compost, which is becoming popular in Bangladesh now. Women can be involved in the production of vermi compost or simple organic compost type fertilisers, which will maintain the health of the soil.

      More training can be organised for women for production of vermi compost and other compost type organic fertilisers. On the other hand vermi compost is more suitable for household vegetable cultivation, which is again handled by women.

      Thanks.

    • Thank you. It is a nice draft. Among the issues discussed, in my humble opinion, the most important ones are how to reduce food waste (as championed by France), and how to reduce negative impact of food production.

      Most of the crop-based food production are Greening activities consuming Carbon, despite some negative issues, like pesticides and others.  Hence if food production can be made Greener, it will serve dual purpose.

      Thanks,

      AMM Zowadul Karim Khan