Bangladesh registers low on the scale for fruit and vegetable consumption within South Asia, impacting the nutritional health of its population. At a Kathmandu event, Avinash Kishore of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) presented insights from the "Global Food Policy Report 2024."
In Bangladesh, daily intake is only 155 grams of fruits and vegetables, against a recommended 400 grams, with fruits at 29 grams and vegetables at 126 grams. This dietary gap contributes to high malnutrition and non-communicable diseases in the region. Kishore highlighted issues such as limited crop diversity, high prices of nutritious foods, supply chain inefficiencies, and the prevalence of processed foods as obstacles to improving diet quality.
He noted that nearly half of the global population unable to afford a healthy diet resides in South Asia. Purnima Menon and Malay Kanti Mridha from IFPRI stressed the importance of addressing malnutrition and the impact of climate change on food systems for better health outcomes. Shahidur Rashid underscored the need for significant investments in food systems to achieve sustainable, healthy diets, integrating economic growth with dietary improvements.
Source: www.thedailystar.net