United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), together with the Bangladesh government is setting up Dhaka Food Agenda 2041, which aims to develop integrated solutions to address Dhaka's present and future food needs.
Experts on Saturday met to discuss the first steps to deal with the pressing problem of providing affordable, safe, and nutritious food to more than 20 million people, said a media statement.
The seminar was organized by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, and FAO at the capital’s InterContinental Hotel.
The event was chaired by Helal Uddin Ahmed, senior secretary of the Local Government Division.
LGRD minister Tazul Islam was the chief guest at the event while Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh was present as the special guest.
Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh Anne van Leeuwen was the guest of honour, along with the FAO representative in Bangladesh Robert D Simpson.
FAO's Dhaka Food System (DFS) project, together with technical assistance from Wageningen University of Research (WUR), will support the government of Bangladesh to develop the Dhaka Food Agenda 2041 through an evidence-based and collaborative approach, with a range of stakeholders, including government ministries and departments, the private sector, development partners, research institutions, and academia.
It will be developed through action research, pilot initiatives, and consultations.
It also plans to guide the country’s policymakers to incorporate urban food system planning into national policies, complementing planned actions following last year’s United Nations Food Systems Summit.
The DFS project, which is funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is working to increase access to affordable, high-quality food for all of the city’s inhabitants.
Speaking at the event, the project’s chief technical adviser John Taylor said: “Meeting tomorrow's challenges of the Dhaka Food System require forward-thinking ideas, innovative solutions, effective policies, collaboration from a range of stakeholders, and committed city corporations.