Experts today stressed on developing modern technologies to reduce significant annual food loss in Bangladesh as the country’s annual estimated food loss and waste is around 19.4 percent 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 policy makers-- made the observations at a seminar at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) here this morning.

Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly organized the seminar on “Reducing Food Loss and Waste for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security’ marking the World Food Day-2024. 

The experts expressed concern over the annul food loss issue, which usually taking 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 Dr Md Harunur Rashid presented 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 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.

At the household level food waste in South Asian countries, Dr 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  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 percent, roots and tubers 36.9 percent, oil seeds and pulses 10.3 percent, fruits and vegetables 40.2 percent, meat products 14.9 percent, fish and sea food 30.2 percent, dairy products 17.5 percent and other food 24.9 percent, according to the statistics.

The experts identified the issues like--lack of knowledge on maturity indices, inadequacy in sorting and grading, no washing or improper washing with polluted waters, inappropriate packaging, transportation problem, 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.

“Bangladesh can guarantee access to food of its expanding population by minimizing food waste,” Dr. Rashid in his paper said adding “this requires a holistic strategy ,which in effect, can also reduce malnutrition of the people.”

“We hope that no food scarcity would happen in the country if we can diminish postharvest loss and wastage of food”, 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, “We  believe that modern postharvest technology and processing system along with disciplined and modern transportation system can play a  pivotal role in curbing a major part of food wastage.”

Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr M Mahmudur Rahman gave the welcome speech while FAO Representative in Bangladesh Dr Jiaoqun Shi and Secretary of the Ministry of Food Masudul Hasan spoke the function as the special guests.

With Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian in the Chair, the seminar also attended by representatives of different national and international organizations.