Govt gives priority on food safety: Minister

GBNEWS24 DESK//

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder on Sunday said that the government has given priority in ensuring food safety and nutrition for the country’s people after achieving food sufficiency.

“After the country’s Independence, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had taken initiative to increase production crops with development of agriculture sector. The country has achieved food sufficiency under his daughter Sheikh Hasina’s leadership,” he said while addressing the inaugural session of the Second National Dialogue for UN Food Systems Summit 2021, held on Sunday virtually from his Secretariat office.

Food Secretary Dr. Mosammat Nazmanara Khanum chaired the session while Senior Secretary, to Agriculture Ministry Mesbahul Islam, Planning Commission’s former secretary Zakir Hossain Akanda, Director of International Center for Climate Change and Development Prof Dr. Saleemul Huq spoke the programme as special guest.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Monirul Hasan moderated the programme while Director General of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) Research Director Md. Hajiqul Islam gave presentation on the preparation of Bangladesh over the summit.

Director General of Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) Shahiduzzaman Faruki, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) Country Director Rudaba Khondker, FAO Country Representative Robert D. Simpson and experts in the sector also spoke the occasion.
Later, the participants discussed on five separate issues dividing into five groups for finalizing the recommendations to be placed in the UN Food Systems Summit 2021 to be held in September this year with the participation of the member countries.

The issues of availability of diversified, safe and nutritious food; transformation, delivery, access and role of private sector; governance, nutrition and food safety; inclusion, livelihood and social protection and climate, vulnerability and resilience got priority in the discussion.

Sadhan Majumder said the government has given priority in ensuring nutrition of the people. Nutritious food is being distributed among the people under the social safetynet programmes to ensure it. At the same time, fortified food grain is being developed in the country.