Food and nutrition experts from government, academia, civil society, the food and restaurant industry, youth organizations and the CGIAR gathered in Dhaka on Tuesday to identify opportunities for nutrition interventions that support healthier and more sustainable diets.
The Expert Elicitation Workshop, organized by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at the Sheraton Dhaka, used a structured expert elicitation process to examine the factors influencing what, why and when people eat.
The workshop brought together 39 experts from organizations including the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Bangladesh Agricultural University, the Aga Khan Academy, Brac James P Grant School of Public Health, Daffodil International University, the University of Dhaka, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Alive & Thrive Bangladesh, Bangladesh Diabetic Network Ltd, Brac Health Program, GAIN Bangladesh, SAJIDA Foundation, SUN Bangladesh Youth Network, Doehler Group Bangladesh, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), IRRI and representatives from restaurant businesses.
Youth representatives, a food historian and food vloggers also participated, offering perspectives on traditional Bangladeshi cuisine, evolving food culture and changing dietary patterns.
The workshop aimed to generate evidence on the cultural, social, economic and behavioural factors shaping food choices in Bangladesh under the Gastronomic Systems Research (GSR) framework.
Discussions focused on commonly consumed foods across different eating occasions, cultural and social influences on diets, food affordability, seasonal food availability, food environments and purchasing behaviour, barriers to healthier diets and opportunities for nutrition interventions.
According to the organizers, expert elicitation is increasingly recognised as an effective method for generating evidence where empirical data is limited or where timely information is needed to support research and policymaking.
Opening the workshop, Dr Arindam Samaddar, project leader at IRRI, said improving diets is not only about producing more food but also about understanding why people choose the foods they eat.
"Food choices are shaped by culture, affordability, availability, convenience and personal preferences. By understanding these everyday decisions, we can design nutrition interventions that are more relevant, practical and likely to improve people's diets," he said.
"If diets are culturally shaped, interventions must also be culturally designed."
Dr Humnath Bhandari, IRRI representative for Bangladesh, said health and nutrition are central to IRRI's new strategy, reflecting the institute's commitment to promoting rice-based food systems that improve both food security and nutrition.
Dr Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, associate professor at the Department of Food Engineering and Technology at Bangladesh Agricultural University, said the GSR framework offers a practical and sustainable approach to addressing complex nutrition challenges.
"The GSR framework is simple, effective and sustainable. It provides a practical way to address complex nutrition challenges through interventions grounded in people's everyday food choices. This approach has the potential to create meaningful, real-life impact by informing solutions that are relevant, scalable and responsive to local contexts," he said.
Israt Jahan Dorin, chief dietitian at Bangladesh Diabetic Network Ltd, said understanding the cultural drivers of food choice is essential for tackling the growing burden of diet-related diseases.
"I believe understanding the cultural drivers of food choice is fundamental to designing effective diabetes prevention and nutrition interventions. By recognising how culture, traditions and everyday food practices influence dietary decisions, we can develop interventions that are practical, culturally appropriate and more likely to improve health outcomes," she said.