BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

CONCEPTUALIZATION AND MEASUREMENT OF FOOD SECURITY: THE CONTEXT OF BANGLADESH

Author: Mahfuz Kabir

DOI Link: DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2005v26n1a3

ABSTRACT

Food security, traditionally identified and measured by availability, accessibility, and utilization and referred to demand failure as its origin, has been Critically assessed in this paper focusing the context of Bangladesh. It argues that food security can neither be solely represented by aggregate or per capita availability, poverty, and nutritional status, nor can it be explained by market failure; it is a joint and coincident outcome of market, state and societal failure. Although Bangladesh has attained near self sufficiency in food production, about half of its population is still food insecure in terms of accessibility and utilization, and women are disproportionately affected by food insecurity. There is geographical variation in food security. Finally the paper suggest that not only traditional transfer programs and productivity gains, there is a strong need for institutional reform, favorable macroeconomic environment, proper government intervention and strong social capital to effectively address food insecurity of the country.