Food Minister Afroza Khanam has sought technical and financial support from World Food Programme (WFP) to evaluate the effectiveness of fortified rice and develop standard operating procedures (SOP) for food grain management. She highlighted the need for strong scientific evidence before expanding the programme further.
The request was made during a bilateral meeting with a WFP delegation led by WFP Bangladesh Country Director Koko Ushiyama at the Minister’s office on Monday.
The Minister said that an impact evaluation study has been initiated to assess the actual nutritional impact and effectiveness of fortified rice distributed under social safety net programmes. The study may require approximately $400,000 to $450,000. She sought WFP’s financial and technical assistance to complete the research.
“Scientific and reliable evidence on the effectiveness of fortified rice will make it easier to expand the programme and make policy decisions,” she said. The programme currently runs in nearly 300 upazilas. Stronger evidence on its nutritional benefits is required before further expansion.
Addressing the challenge of maintaining the quality of food grains, the Minister said WFP’s technical support is needed to develop an integrated policy and SOP to protect the quality of rice stored in government godowns and improve long-term stock management.
The meeting also covered strengthening ongoing cooperation in food security, strategic grain reserve management, and expanding social safety net programmes.
Ushiyama said WFP’s cooperation in food security and nutrition will continue. The next five-year plan will focus on strategic food stock management, social safety, improving the nutritional value of food grains and school feeding programmes. She suggested preparing a detailed Concept Note to secure potential financial and technical support, and assured of sharing experiences from countries including Pakistan.
Both parties discussed formulating a five-year cooperation plan and starting a new partnership from 2028.
Food Secretary Abu Taher Mohammad Masud Rana, Directorate General of Food Director General Md Jasim Uddin Khan, WFP Bangladesh Senior Partnership Adviser Md Mohsin Chowdhury and Head of Programme Jesse Woods attended, along with other officials.
Later in the afternoon, Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh Antonio Alessandro met the Food Minister at her secretariat office to discuss bilateral relations and mutual cooperation in food security and grain preservation.
