The CGIAR Research Initiative on Sustainable Healthy Diets through Food Systems Transformation (SHiFT) convened a stocktaking meeting in Dhaka on Tuesday, emphasizing the importance of sharing research insights to support food systems transformation in Bangladesh.
The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) hosted the event bringing together partners from the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food and the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC), as well as SHiFT researchers and other key stakeholders, to share research results and discuss how the Initiative can continue to support food systems transformation in Bangladesh.
“The government of Bangladesh is committed to transforming the country’s food systems to be more sustainable, accessible, and resilient, so that each and every person can enjoy a safe, adequate, and affordable healthy diet,” said Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Research Director, FPMU, in his opening remarks.
He highlighted the ongoing development of a Plan of Action (PoA) based on commitments presented at the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS).
This effort is supported by a multistakeholder working group that includes UN agencies, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), and SHiFT.
Over the past 3 years, SHiFT has conducted research activities in Bangladesh, including modeling dietary scenarios, understanding consumer preferences for sustainable healthy diets, and analyzing dietary quality among urban adolescents.
During Tuesday’s meeting, representatives from FPMU, BNNC, and other development partners heard about these findings and discussed how the evidence could inform national policies and programming.
Earlier this year, IFPRI, on behalf of SHiFT, signed Memorandums of Understanding with FPMU and BNNC.
“We look forward to continuing our joint effort to tackle challenges and leverage opportunities in food systems transformation in the country,” said Dr Inge Brouwer, Lead of the SHiFT Initiative and Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit at IFPRI.
“This will help people to eat sustainable healthy diets, safeguard decent livelihoods for those involved in micro, small, and medium enterprises in the food sector, and support women in that sector.”
Md Mahbubur Rahman and Mostafa Faruq Al Banna, Research Directors with FPMU, presented a progress update on Bangladesh’s national food systems transformation agenda.
SHiFT researchers from IFPRI, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, and Wageningen University and Research shared insights on research to inform the transformation process.
Following a presentation by Aklima Parvin (IFPRI Bangladesh) on the nutrition profile of urban areas, a panel discussion explored insights from SHiFT’s research on consumers and their food environments.
This event, which brought together more than 50 participants from global and country-level research institutions, government agencies, and foundations, underscored the collaborative efforts needed to address complex food systems challenges and set the stage for future initiatives in Bangladesh and beyond.