Stronger public-private partnership key to ensuring safe, nutritious food

Food Minister Afroza Khanam has stressed the need to strengthen public-private partnerships to ensure safe, nutritious and quality food for all citizens. Food is a basic human need and a universal human right, she said, adding that the Constitution places responsibility on the state to meet citizens’ basic needs.
The government is working to ensure safe and nutritious food for all, but achieving this goal requires coordinated efforts by the private sector, development partners, researchers and relevant institutions, alongside government initiatives, she said.
The minister made the remarks as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships for Fortification in Bangladesh”, organised by the Fortification Alliance of Bangladesh (FAB) at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) conference room in Dhaka on Wednesday.
She said the country’s food system needed to become more effective, modern and responsive to public health needs, particularly those of vulnerable groups, including women and children.
Calling for broader food fortification programmes to improve nutritional quality by adding essential vitamins and minerals, she said effective coordination among relevant institutions, greater public awareness and practical planning were crucial.
The government is implementing various initiatives to ensure food and nutrition security, but their scope must be expanded through public-private partnerships, she added.
The minister also stressed the importance of incorporating stakeholders’ views and experience into practical decisions, reviewing progress in food fortification and taking effective measures to meet targets within the stipulated timeframe.
Speaking as a special guest, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam said bringing the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI), the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection and the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) under the Ministry of Food would facilitate coordination and implementation.