|| Lion Md. Gani Miah Babul: Food production in Bangladesh is increasing, and the use of technology in agriculture is expanding. Yet ensuring access to affordable and nutritious food for everyone remains a major challenge. Although food products are available in the market, many families have limited purchasing power. Farmers are struggling to cope with rising production costs, consumers are finding it increasingly difficult to buy food at fair prices, and the lack of safe and balanced diets is posing risks to public health. This reality demonstrates that food security is not merely a matter of production figures. It is also a question of economic affordability, good governance, public health, and social justice.The theme of World Food Day 2026 is ‘Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.’ The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) emphasizes the need to develop food systems that combine technology, research, policy initiatives, and local knowledge to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food while protecting the environment. In Bangladesh, despite improvements in food production and public food stocks, high inflation, declining purchasing power, livelihood losses caused by natural disasters, and the high cost of nutritious food remain major obstacles to food security. Therefore, World Food Day should not be limited to formal discussions and ceremonial observances. What is needed is effective government planning, rigorous market monitoring, and practical measures to ensure every person's right to food.World Food Day is observed annually on October 16. On this day in 1945, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations was established. The day aims to raise international awareness of food insecurity, hunger, malnutrition, and the need to promote sustainable agriculture. The second Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2) calls for ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture by 2030. In the context of Bangladesh, achieving these objectives requires not only increased agricultural production but also equal emphasis on fair food prices, people's purchasing power, food safety, and adequate nutrition.Bangladesh is an agriculture-based country. Through farmers' hard work, agricultural research, improved seeds, irrigation facilities, and technological advancement, the country has made significant progress in food production. According to an FAO report on Bangladesh published on September 4, 2026, Boro rice production in 2026 was forecast to reach approximately 31.9 million tonnes, close to the previous year's high production level. However, the same report indicated that approximately 18.1 million people in Bangladesh could face acute food insecurity between September and December 2026. This represented a potential deterioration from the estimated 15.3 million people affected during May to August. Limited purchasing power, high inflation, and livelihood losses caused by floods were identified as important contributing factors. These projections demonstrate that progress in food production alone cannot ensure food security unless people can afford to purchase food and obtain balanced, nutritious diets.One of the biggest obstacles to food security in Bangladesh is the mismatch between people's incomes and food prices. When the prices of essential commodities rise, low-income families are often forced to reduce their consumption of fish, meat, eggs, milk, fruits, and other nutritious foods. As a result, family members may receive sufficient calories but remain deprived of adequate protein, vitamins, and minerals. This can adversely affect children's physical and mental development, the health of pregnant women, and the nutritional well-being of older people. Food prices depend not only on supply but also on production costs, transportation, fuel prices, imports, storage facilities, and the level of competition in the market. Therefore, temporary enforcement drives cannot provide a lasting solution unless the underlying causes of price increases are properly investigated and addressed.The government has a responsibility to monitor every stage of the food supply chain, from production to consumption. Information on agricultural production costs, wholesale and retail prices, stocks, imports, and transportation expenses should be collected and analyzed regularly. Where evidence of hoarding, artificial shortages, or market manipulation is found, the law must be enforced impartially. At the same time, measures are needed to strengthen market competition, expand opportunities for direct procurement from farmers, and reduce the undue influence of intermediaries. Transparency must also be ensured in public food procurement and distribution so that farmers receive fair prices and consumers can purchase food at affordable rates.Farmers are the foundation of the food system, yet they bear a substantial share of the risks associated with agricultural production. Rising costs of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, labour, and land can disrupt production. Furthermore, inadequate storage facilities, cold storage infrastructure, transportation, and marketing opportunities may force farmers to sell their produce at low prices during harvest seasons. This undermines their fair income and reduces their ability to invest in subsequent growing seasons. Therefore, agricultural credit must be made more accessible, reliable supplies of quality seeds and agricultural inputs must be ensured, effective mechanisms for securing fair prices for crops must be introduced, and modern storage facilities must be developed. Agriculture should be recognized not merely as a production sector but as a cornerstone of national food security and rural employment.Another essential dimension of food security is food safety. Adulteration, the uncontrolled use of harmful chemicals, pesticide residues, microbial contamination, and the preparation and storage of food in unhygienic conditions pose serious health risks. Bangladesh has enacted the Safe Food Act, 2013, which provides a legal framework for regulating food production, importation, processing, storage, supply, marketing, and sale. However, effective implementation requires coordinated action by the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority, the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection, local administrations, and other relevant agencies.Regular food sampling and testing, stronger laboratory capacity, prompt action against hazardous products, and public disclosure of test results are necessary to ensure accountability. Complaints concerning food adulteration must be investigated through evidence-based procedures. This will help prevent the harassment of innocent business operators while ensuring that those responsible for violations cannot evade punishment.Alongside food safety, nutrition must be established as a national priority. Inadequate access to nutritious food can undermine children's development, concentration in education, productivity, and immune function. Conversely, excessive consumption of foods high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats can increase the long-term risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. It is therefore necessary to promote balanced dietary habits within families, strengthen nutrition education in schools, and improve maternal and child nutrition services.Nutritional assistance for children from disadvantaged families and needs-based social protection programmes should also be expanded. However, public awareness campaigns alone cannot deliver the desired results if nutritious foods remain unaffordable. Measures must therefore be taken to keep fish, eggs, milk, lentils, vegetables, and fruits within the financial reach of ordinary people.Climate change is also closely linked to food security in Bangladesh. Floods, droughts, cyclones, irregular rainfall, river erosion, and increasing soil salinity in coastal areas threaten agricultural production and farmers' livelihoods. The loss of agricultural land, declining soil fertility, and growing pressure on irrigation water create additional long-term risks. To address these challenges, investment is needed in climate-resilient crop varieties, agricultural research, water-efficient irrigation technologies, and region-specific crop planning.Early warnings about natural disasters must reach farmers promptly. Farmers affected by disasters should receive appropriate assistance for rehabilitation and the restoration of agricultural production. Protecting the environment and conserving natural resources must become integral components of agricultural planning to ensure the long-term sustainability of food production.Preventing food waste also requires effective action. A portion of agricultural produce is lost because of inadequate post-harvest storage, transportation, and marketing facilities. Food waste also increases when households, hotels, restaurants, and social events prepare and serve more food than necessary. Improving storage infrastructure, developing modern supply chains, and encouraging people to purchase and serve food according to actual needs are essential steps.Safe surplus food that remains fit for consumption could be distributed to disadvantaged people under appropriate food-safety and hygiene standards. Such initiatives would help reduce food waste while supporting people who struggle to obtain adequate food.Effective monitoring and accountability are essential for addressing these challenges. A coordinated food security monitoring system should be developed by integrating information from the institutions responsible for agriculture, food, commerce, health, and disaster management. Regular assessments should identify regions where food insecurity is worsening, commodities experiencing abnormal price increases, populations at heightened nutritional risk, and whether government assistance is reaching the intended beneficiaries.Information on public food stocks, government procurement, market prices, and the distribution of food assistance should be updated and published regularly. Progress must be assessed against established targets, and the reasons for any shortcomings must be identified. Without clearly defined institutional responsibilities and accountability for irregularities, even well-designed policies will fail to achieve their intended objectives.Citizens also have a role to play in ensuring food security. People should reduce food waste, store food hygienically, develop balanced dietary habits, and report suspected food adulteration or unsafe products responsibly. The media should publish regular, evidence-based reports on food prices, farmers' rights, food quality, and nutrition. Educational institutions, social organizations, and local government bodies should actively contribute to raising public awareness.However, public awareness must not become an excuse for the government to evade its responsibilities. Establishing effective institutional mechanisms to ensure food supply, monitor markets, maintain food safety, improve nutrition, and provide assistance during disasters remains a fundamental government responsibility.To ensure food security in Bangladesh, increased production must be accompanied by fair prices, food safety, nutritional quality, and adequate purchasing power for all. Farmers' rights, market transparency, food quality control, climate-resilient agriculture, food waste prevention, and regular monitoring must be incorporated into a coordinated national action plan.The government must ensure effective policies and accountability, businesses must act responsibly, and citizens must play an informed and active role. Let the commitment of World Food Day inspire the development of a Bangladesh where the success of food production translates into better health, improved nutrition, and a higher quality of life for everyone.Let us build a country where no family is deprived of nutritious food because of financial hardship and no person is exposed to the risks of unsafe food. Food security is a fundamental human right, nutrition is the foundation of a healthy life, and sustainable development is essential to building a prosperous Bangladesh.About the Author:Lion Md. Gani Miah BabulTeacher, Poet, Columnist, Social Worker, and OrganizerFounding President, Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers Association (Agriculture), Central CommitteeJoint Secretary-General, Nirapad Sarak Chai (NISCHA), Central CommitteePhone: +880 1552-631118, +880 1842-631118Email: lionganibabul@gmail.com