Invest more in food safety: Experts
Experts at a seminar yesterday called for more investment in food safety and demanded that the government take necessary initiatives for amending the Food Safety Act 2013 to prevent food adulteration.
Bangladesh Safe Agro Food Efforts (BSAFE) Foundation, KHANI Food Security Network, Brot fur die Welt and Unnayan Dhara organised the seminar at Jatiya Press Club in the capital marking World Food Day.
Their other demands include passage of the “Food Security Act 2016” drafted by the Law Commission and taking steps to implement the law, investing more in agricultural research and establishing research institute like BSTI to control food quality.
In his keynote paper, Unnayan Dhara Executive Director Shahidul Islam said, “At present, around 43 lakh tonnes of chemical fertiliser and 48,000 tonnes of chemical pesticides are being used in food production.”
Besides, different types of pesticides are being mixed in different stages of food storage, processing, packaging, marketing and distribution, he added.
Citing the study of a United Nations report published in 2017, Shahidul said the country's 15.1 percent people are suffering from malnutrition and 39.9 percent women from anaemia.
Though Bangladesh is an agricultural country, its farmers suffer from food and nutrition insecurity, said Shahidul.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said for ensuring food security, investment in food safety system is very important. The authorities concerned will have to come forward for proper implementation of the Food Safety Act 2013, he said.
At present, the main challenge is to increase the food production and ensure food nutrition, he added.
Prof Latiful Bari of Dhaka University and Dr Monowar Hossain also spoke at the seminar with BSAFE Foundation President and scientist Dr Mohammed Zainul Abedin in the chair.
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