Obstacles to achieving food security

Food grain production in Bangladesh has been continuously increasing. Over the past 53 years since independence, the production of food grains has grown at an average annual rate of about 3 percent. Despite this, we still import a large amount of food grains every year, including rice, wheat, and maize, among other products. The annual import of cereal grains alone amounts to 7 to 8 million tons. When other agricultural products such as pulses, oilseeds, sugar, spices, and dairy products are included, the total import amounts to 9 to 10 million tons. The expenditure on imports is around 80 to 90 thousand crore taka. Nevertheless, there is still a food security deficit in the country, and food inflation is rising.

Currently, about 22 percent of the population in the country suffers from food insecurity. To address this issue and ensure food and nutrition security for all by 2030, agricultural production needs to increase at a faster rate, specifically by 4 to 5 percent annually. Additionally, improvements in distribution systems are essential. The surplus of agricultural products for the market must be increased. There are many challenges in this regard. Notable challenges include the reduction of agricultural land, leaving cultivable land fallow, soil fertility decline, adverse effects of climate change, food waste and inefficient market systems.

In Bangladesh, the amount of arable land is limited, totaling 18.6 million acres or 7.542 million hectares. The per capita availability is only 11 decimals. This amount is rapidly decreasing. In 1983-84, the total cultivable land was 9.2 million hectares. By 1996, it had decreased to 8.2 million hectares, to 7.7 million hectares in 2008, and to 7.5 million hectares in 2019. The average annual rate of reduction in cultivable land was 0.97 percent from 1984 to 1996, 0.74 percent from 1996 to 2008, and 0.21 percent from 2008 to 2019. In 1980, agricultural land accounted for 65.69 percent of the total land area. By 2019, this had decreased to 59.28 percent. The primary reasons for the reduction in agricultural land include industrialization, urbanization, new road construction, establishment of new residential areas, creation of educational institutions, setting up of brick kilns, and riverbank erosion.

Recently, public awareness campaigns have somewhat reduced the trend of land reduction. However, it remains a serious and concerning issue. To achieve food self-sufficiency in the future, the conversion of agricultural land for other purposes must be strictly limited. In particular, land used for three-crop or two-crop farming should not be repurposed for other uses under any circumstances. For converting single-crop land to other uses, it should be mandatory to obtain approval from the relevant government authorities. Legislation and enforcement are necessary in this regard.

Another barrier to increasing agricultural production is the abundance of fallow land. Currently, this amounts to 452,430 hectares, which constitutes 5.13 percent of the total cultivable land. Significant amounts of fallow land are found in various sugar mills, jute mills, textile mills, and railway departments across the country. Additionally, significant amounts of cultivable land remain fallow around various educational institutions, religious centers, government officials' residences, private homes, and industrial facilities. A large portion of the land acquired for government or private development projects is not used for construction. Instead, the remaining land is often left vacant and unused. Around Dhaka city, numerous signboards of housing companies can be seen, surrounded by hundreds of acres of fallow cultivable land. Similar scenes are observed outside Dhaka as well. Fallow land is particularly prevalent in relatively elevated, low-lying, and problematic areas. In this situation, effective measures need to be implemented to bring all fallow land under cultivation. In this context, measures such as crop diversification, cultivation of short-duration crops, and changing crop rotation patterns are essential. For the haor regions, the development of new technologies is necessary, while for the hilly areas, initiatives for growing various fruits, cashew nuts, and coffee should be undertaken. Farmers need to be encouraged to ensure that field lands are not left fallow at different times of the year. Incentives may be provided to farmers if needed. In various countries in America and Europe, farmers are given incentives to keep land fallow through set-aside policies. This practice reduces production and supply, helping to prevent the decline in agricultural commodity prices in the global market. In a country like Bangladesh, which faces food security challenges, providing support to farmers for cultivating fallow land is very reasonable and necessary.

Crop production in Bangladesh is highly sensitive to climate change. Its impacts include increased frequency and severity of floods and droughts, more intense cyclones and storm surges, and the expansion of waterlogging and salinity in coastal areas. Riverbank erosion also leads to the loss of agricultural land. Recently, the global average temperature has risen by nearly 1.5 degrees Celsius. This has accelerated the process of desertification and lowered water levels, disrupting irrigation. However, it is possible to address the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture through the expansion of appropriate adaptation programs. In this context, it is crucial to focus on the development of suitable agricultural technologies. Several crop varieties resistant to flood, droughts, waterlogging, and salinity have already been developed. It is essential to increase investment in the continuous improvement and expansion of these varieties. Additionally, attention should be given to changing crop rotation and increasing production in non-crop agricultural sectors. Agricultural insurance should also be implemented.

In our country, food production is increasing, but so is food waste. This poses a significant barrier to achieving food self-sufficiency. According to a report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the average person in Bangladesh wastes 82 kilograms of food annually. This level of food waste is higher than in India, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The total annual food waste amounts to 14.4 million tons, which is enough to feed the entire population of Bangladesh for three months. If this waste could be prevented, there would be no need for food grain imports. With high food inflation putting a strain on poor consumers, excessive food waste could lead to severe consequences. Therefore, it is crucial to address this issue immediately. To address this issue, there is a need for raising public awareness, improving crop harvesting and preservation methods, reducing rodent infestations, controlling food quality, and providing better training in food processing and distribution. Regular monitoring by the relevant authorities is essential. One of the Sustainable Development Goals is to increase sustainability in agricultural production and reduce food waste by half by 2030. Achieving this goal requires coordinated efforts from both the government and the public.

Dependence on imports for agricultural inputs is another significant problem. In the past, domestic production met nearly 70 percent of the country's chemical fertilizer needs. This figure has now dropped to below 20 percent. Out of the five fertilizer factories in the country, only one is currently operational, while the other four are closed due to a gas shortage. The current stock of fertilizer is sufficient only until September. After that, the planting of Rabi crops and the cultivation of Boro rice will begin.

Currently, there may be a shortfall in the amount of fertilizer needed for the topdressing of aman rice. Approximately 4 million tons of fertilizer will be required for the rabi and boro crops. Meanwhile, due to a dollar shortage, opening letters of credit (LCs) for fertilizer imports has nearly ceased. Private importers are unable to bring in fertilizer from abroad due to their inability to clear outstanding payments. In this situation, special attention must be given to fertilizer imports. Additionally, it is crucial to prioritize the reopening of the country's closed fertilizer factories. Currently, the cost of producing one ton of urea fertilizer in the country is between 32,000 to 33,000 Taka, while the cost of importing it is between 50,000 to 55,000 Taka per ton. Thus, producing chemical fertilizers domestically is far more cost-effective. The same applies to irrigation and soil cultivation equipment. These tools can be manufactured within Bangladesh. If necessary, cooperation with foreign entities could be sought to establish manufacturing plants for such equipment. Increased investment in these areas is essential.

Our agricultural product market is inefficient. There is more collaboration in price increases and less competition, which results in high prices despite adequate supply in the market. Unscrupulous practices by traders are largely to blame for this situation. Consequently, low-income individuals suffer the most from these high prices. Their food security is disrupted while farmers are cheated out of fair prices for their produce. To establish fairness at both ends of the market chain, it is essential to ensure market efficiency. The relevant government agencies should continuously work towards this goal.

Dr. Jahangir Alam: Director, Dhaka School of Economics and Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Global Village