The global food crisis is worsening amid war, climate change, inflation, poverty and economic instability, pushing hundreds of millions into acute food insecurity. Bangladesh has now been included among the countries most affected.
The UN-supported Global Report on Food Crises 2025 says two-thirds of people facing acute food insecurity worldwide are concentrated in 10 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The report estimates 266 million people suffered severe food insecurity in 2025—nearly double the 2016 level.
For Bangladesh, it notes mixed progress: modest improvement in some indicators but persistent structural vulnerability. It raises concerns over whether the country is truly prepared to exit food insecurity.
Food insecurity in Bangladesh is increasingly driven by affordability rather than availability, compounded by climate risks and inequality.
About 15.6 million people were in “Phase 3” acute food insecurity by mid-2025, while 4 million were in “Phase 4” emergency conditions, according to the report.
Conditions improved slightly from 2024, helped by fewer major disasters, easing food inflation and higher remittance inflows. However, the gains are described as fragile and temporary.
Rising prices of rice, lentils, oil, eggs, fish and vegetables continue to strain low- and lower-middle-income households. Many families have reduced protein intake, taken on debt, or cut healthcare spending to manage food costs.
Climate change and recurrent flooding remain major threats to food security.
Early floods and heavy rainfall this year severely damaged Bangladesh’s haor region, submerging large areas of mature Boro rice in Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Habiganj and Moulvibazar.
The Department of Agriculture estimates losses worth thousands of crores of taka across affected districts.
In Habiganj, about 11,500 hectares of paddy were submerged, with losses estimated at around Tk 34 billion. Sunamganj has seen losses exceeding Tk 20 billion. In greater Sylhet, around 40,000 hectares of farmland were affected.
Officials warn such disasters are no longer exceptional. In 2022, about 53,000 hectares in the haor region were flooded, while the 2024 multi-phase floods affected around 5.8 million people, underscoring a shift toward recurring climate-driven disruption.
Experts say preparedness must go beyond food stockpiles to include climate-resilient agriculture, faster disaster response, farmer compensation and sustainable production systems.
At a time of elevated global food insecurity risks, the government is planning to reduce food subsidies.
The Ministry of Finance projects Tk 96 billion in food subsidies for the 2026–27 fiscal year, down about Tk 6.14 billion from the revised allocation for the current fiscal year.
The original allocation was Tk 96.63 billion, later raised to Tk 102.14 billion due to market conditions.
Analysts warn the proposed cut could strain programmes such as the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Open Market Sales (OMS) and food-friendly schemes, especially as food inflation remains high.
Meanwhile, subsidies for electricity, energy and fertilizer will continue. Around Tk 370 billion is planned for the power and energy sector and Tk 270 billion for fertilizer. The government says these are essential to sustain production and agriculture.
Critics, however, question whether reducing direct food support is viable under current conditions.
The government plans to expand social protection coverage to about 36.3 million people next fiscal year, with an allocation of Tk 357.08 billion.
The programme includes cash transfers, food assistance, agricultural support and family-based welfare measures under a broader “welfare state” framework.
Economists say effectiveness will depend on targeting and execution. Past experience shows exclusion errors, administrative weaknesses and political influence often limit access for the poorest households.
They argue that higher allocations alone will not ensure food security without transparent and efficient delivery systems.
Dr Selim Raihan, executive director of SANEM and professor of economics at the University of Dhaka, says Bangladesh’s food insecurity is structural.
He says food is available, but many people cannot afford it due to low wages, insecure jobs, regional inequality, climate vulnerability, malnutrition and weak social protection.
Food inflation, he adds, is reshaping consumption patterns, forcing households toward lower-nutrition diets, reduced healthcare spending and rising debt dependence.
While remittances offer some relief, he warns the benefit is uneven and excludes many vulnerable groups, including landless workers, informal urban labourers and female-headed households.
Bangladesh has taken measures including expanding social safety nets, maintaining agricultural production, continuing fertilizer subsidies, building food stocks and stabilising markets.
However, experts say long-term resilience requires deeper structural reform.
Key priorities include:
- Investment in climate-resilient agriculture
- Permanent disaster management for haor and coastal zones
- Modernised food storage and distribution systems
- Targeted food support for low-income groups
- Integration of nutrition into core food policy
Additional needs include improved seed systems, local fertilizer production, expanded agricultural technology and easier financing for farmers.
Experts warn food security must be treated as a national security issue, not just an agricultural or market concern, as it directly affects poverty, inequality, nutrition and social stability.
Delays in preparedness, they say, will deepen future risks.
