The Meeting the Undernutrition Challenge (MUCH) project has greatly advanced food and nutrition security and helped Bangladesh to attract USD 14 billion of investment over the last eight years, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.
FAO Representative Robert D. Simpson remarked that it was now time to implement the nutrition policies and guidelines that the project had helped to develop. He also highlighted the importance of a food systems approach which is based on the interconnectedness of food production, processing, transport, and consumption — recognizing issues such as sustainability, waste, and the impact of nutrition on people’s health.
He said: “Now that Bangladesh has the policies and technical guidelines in place to improve people’s nutrition, the focus needs to shift to implementing these policies through a multi-ministry, food systems approach. We need to help the poorest eat better, ensure healthy options for a large and growing urban population, and be attentive to new challenges such as obesity and food waste, as the country grows wealthier.”
The project, implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), has supported the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food to develop a policy framework and action plans to implement these policies, as well as investment strategies that have secured record funding.
MUCH was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the European Union (EU). Charles Whiteley, Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to Bangladesh, said, “The project helping to achieve Bangladesh’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relating to food and nutrition security. The outputs of the project contributing to the government’s aim to achieve the SDG goals on food and nutrition security for Bangladesh’s people are commendable.
Bhaskar Goswami, who has led the project, said: “Bangladesh is now in a much strong position in terms of policy and strategy. These policies have, and will continue to have, an impact on what millions of people eat.”
Dr. Shamsul Alam, State Minister, Ministry of Planning, was chief guest at the event.
