Food Minister Calls for Formulating Integrated National Strategy to Prevent Food Waste

National

Staff Reporter

Published: Wednesday, 04 November 2026

Food Minister Afroza Khanam has called for formulating an integrated national strategy to prevent food waste. She said that in this regard, no single ministry can play an effective role; rather, all relevant institutions, including agriculture, fisheries and livestock, environment, industry, and local government, must work in an integrated manner. She said this while speaking as chief guest at a national dialogue held today, Wednesday (November 4), at Hotel Sheraton in Dhaka.

This dialogue, titled ‘Save Food, Secure Bangladesh’s Food Future’, was held under the joint initiative of the Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). At the dialogue, the Food Minister said that preventing food waste means not only saving food, but also ensuring the dignity of farmers’ labor and people’s food security. At that time, she emphasized the collective role of the government, private sector, researchers and consumers in ensuring safe food under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarek Rahman. It may be mentioned that, according to FAO estimates, about 13.3 percent of food produced worldwide is lost before reaching the retail level.

The dialogue, presided over by Food Secretary Abu Taher Md. Masud Rana, had FAO Bangladesh Representative Xiaokun Shi as special guest. FPMU Director General Md. Mahabubur Rahman delivered the welcome address. In addition, Professor Dr. Manzurul Alam, Professor Naushad Alam and Dr. M. Khalequzzaman presented the keynote paper on the challenges of reducing food waste and loss.