Food Minister Afroza Khanam on Wednesday called for a coordinated national strategy involving all relevant ministries and stakeholders to reduce food loss and waste and strengthen the country's food security.
She said no single ministry could effectively tackle the problem alone, stressing the need for coordinated efforts by ministries and institutions responsible for agriculture, fisheries and livestock, environment, industry and local government.
"The stronger the coordination, the more effective the results will be," she said while speaking at a national dialogue titled "Save Food, Secure Bangladesh's Food Future: National Dialogue on Loss and Waste" at a hotel in Dhaka.
The event was jointly organised by the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food and the Bangladesh office of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Afroza said the dialogue should lead to concrete decisions and practical initiatives rather than remain limited to discussions.
Preventing food waste is not just about saving food; it also means recognising farmers' hard work, protecting national resources and ensuring food security for the people, she said.
She stressed the need to ensure the maximum use of produced food through greater awareness at every stage, from production and storage to transportation, marketing and consumption.
The minister said a collective effort involving the government, private sector, development partners, researchers, producers and consumers was essential to reduce food waste and ensure safe and nutritious food.
Speaking as a special guest, FAO Representative in Bangladesh Dr. Jiaoqun Shi also stressed the importance of coordinated initiatives to reduce food loss and waste.
According to FAO estimates, around 13.3 percent of food produced globally is lost before reaching the retail stage.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimated that around 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted at household, food service and retail levels in 2022, said a PID handout.
Reducing food loss and waste is crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3, which aims to halve per capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains by 2030.
Government and non-government officials, food and nutrition experts, academics, local and international researchers, specialists, and representatives of development partners and donor agencies attended the dialogue.