Food Security: Global Scenario and Bangladesh

In this year Food security, scarcity and food riots combine comes to an open discussion on the month of March for the first time ever. On that time Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) a part of United Nation (UN) arranged a meeting which gives focus on the riots around the world for seeking of food grains. Not only drought prone areas of Africa but also the rest of developing countries of third world are facing similar types of problem related with hunger and food grain.

However, citizens of some countries (those scarcity condition is severe) try to adopt new food habit. One of the West African countries Côte d'Ivoire, where most peoples eat rice as their staple ,but prices of rice increases steeply, so they consume boiled plantain (green banana), yum etc. Singapore one of the well developed state of Asia, here also scenario of food consumption also be changed .Inhabitants of Singapore also devour potato because price of potato remain stable, whereas the rice prices have shot up 30-40 percent since the beginning of 2008.

Already six months passed since the global food crisis was put on the world wide agenda. The policy makers and governments of different countries around the globe are currently thinking how to minimize quickly their crisis. The government of Malaysia is finding a partner country to make a n agreement collect food grains exchange of widely grown palm oil in there regions.

Exchange food is one of the simplest ways which practicing from the introductory era of business. But now few ways are trying to practice again after long days. Some developed countries are now thinking to return the colonization system of 18th century, but in a different way! In that time tobacco cultivation developed in Virginia by the English and The English, The Dutch, The Portuguese people for spread their business periphery in this Asia continent. At present time developed countries are planning to grab land of different countries. Already Japan grabbed land area situated in South-East Asia, South America and China. The amount of land is not a small figure, its 12 million hectares of land. Similarly Libyan government has leased 0.2 million hectares in Ukraine for meet own citizen's food consumption. United Arab Emirates choose Pakistan and china select the Philippines for producing rice and maize to meet up their needs.

Meanwhile the food price specially rice grain reach sharply. But the profit doesn't go to the grass root level farmers. This is not only common scenario specifically for our country. But this scene spreads in different locations. One example, Thailand one of the top rice exporters of US. But the Thai farmers get less money than previous year by producing rice! Previous year they got 308 US dollar/ton, but this year they are getting 296 US dollar by sending rice grain to the various rice processing factories situated in Thailand (The Nation, Bangkok, May 15, 2008).But price of rice is too high this year. However for minimizing the global food crisis the major rice producing countries already organized an association called OREC (Organization of Rice Exporting Countries) similar to OPEC. Form the website of OREC (http://www.orecinternational.org/) informed us that the recent how much rice produced in different countries and amount of export to the other countries. Thailand exports 10 million tons of rice which meet up 34.5% need of global rice requirement. Next two countries Vietnam and India exports less than half of Thailand and the amount is 4.5 and 4.4 million tons respectively. In Europe continent few countries are suitable for rice production but them not to produce it for export. What's the reason? The production cost is high and peoples of there not interested to consume rice at their daily meal. So, Europe not shows any kind of advancement for rice production yet.

Now if we turn our eyes to the Bangladesh, what we can see? The price of rice and other food commodity remain steady at high price after Sidr. But the Sidr occurred nearly one year ago. And Post Sidr, Bangladesh got huge amount of foreign aid by various donor agencies and countries. But the price of fertilizer and seed are continuously growing and over the farmer's cultivation budget, most farmers are thinking to cultivate the short duration crop where a vegetables crop gets more priority than rice! It's peak time to help farmers by providing seed and fertilizer assistance at their door step and financial help for cultivation food grains.

More foreign agencies now come to assist Bangladesh specially ensure food security of the inhabitants of this country. Recently Asian Development Bank (ADB) confirms 170 million US Dollar project for developing food security of Bangladesh. Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) also introduce a special program (Initiative on soaring for prices) & includes Bangladesh with other 50 countries. Under this program farmers get help for buying agricultural tools, fertilizers and other agro related necessary elements.

It must be keep remember in our mind that available fund can't be the exact solution for fulfilling the food crisis of the country. For overcoming the situation, it's really need a long term as well develop a mentality to strictly follow plan from the people who are placed from grass-root to apex. Under this plan some are included such as,

For the local and foreign entrepreneurs who want to invest in agricultural sector, introduce a one stop service for them .This service center provides them all kinds of services under single roof.

The agricultural commodities of hill tracts are bring to the major markets of metropolitan cities. Government can provide subsidized transport facility or help those (Indigenous People) for establishing agro processing industry in the hilly area.

Introduce a cell phone help and advice center for farmers which can play a significant role by providing nationwide agro solution the farmers at their fields.

Develop a food bank for every divisional level which must enable with computerized data system and monitored by centrally.

This present food price already causes a huge problem for our mass population and a give a lesson for future days. If the crises carry on future days, then most of Governments of different developing countries can't provide minimum requirement food for the population of their country by investing huge amount of foreign exchange, because all of the countries are suffering same type of problem!

It's better to take some realistic and urgent plan for develop a food security of this country. In recent news published that lots of storage potato will be not used in this year and again make the target for high production of potato next year. At least 1.5 million ton potato stored in cold storage's in present days. But new target is 8 million tons for next year. No new cold storage established and 297 store houses are going well out of 330, rest are stopped. (The Daily Prothom Alo, Bangladesh, 8 October, 2008) So, where we store these huge potato again!

Another thing we need to be remembering that we can't stop natural disaster, but it's possible to minimize its losses by preparing and maintaining a good and effective plan. So, at present situation an ultimate goal of our state to make a good plan for food security with considering natural disasters and implemented it through nation wide as soon as possible. Otherwise food crisis may be cause the worst scenario and can't minimize for the next time when it comes.