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Combating hunger needs a comprehensive policy intervention

Cannot bask in the glory of statistics
18 October 2010, 18:00 PM
EDITORIAL
We could perhaps take some comfort from the recently published report by the UK based ActionAid International that credits Bangladesh with high marks for improving on last year's performance in combating hunger. We have moved several notches up among the most vulnerable 28 countries in reducing hunger this year. And we have done better than the other South Asian countries in this regard, no mean task by any standard. If it is any comfort we have managed to bring down the number of hungry to 26 percent from 36 since 1990. However, those are statistics that on the face of it are indeed gratifying but we cannot overlook the fact, thinking outside mere figures and numbers and looking at the reality on ground, that in real terms 26 percent constitute a very large number of people that go hungry to bed, that is those who can afford a bed at all, every day, and with the yearly population growth the actual number of hungry accretes over the years. About 65 million people do not have enough food and the matter is compounded by the huge number of malnourished children in the country, the highest in South Asia. While more fortunate countries than us can do by merely walking fast to keep pace with the problem of hunger we have to sprint in order to attain the same result. But it also means reconciling certain facts in our planning matrix. While much of the effort to combat hunger is essentially a function of distribution and availability of food it is also a function of capability, more exactly, enhancing the vulnerable and the marginal groups' capability to purchase food. It will not do by merely providing food under special schemes to vulnerable groups at a particular time of the year every year. While that is, and will perhaps continue to be a major expedient to address the vulnerable groups' requirements, the long term solution will have to take into account the related issue of poverty and hunger and proceed on a twin track process to ameliorate the situation. While the price of food grains must remain within the purchasing power of all, the government must ensure that the farmers get remunerative prices for their produce. A balance must be struck between the two as those who are on safety net received training, education and skill to enter the economic cycle. Also, given that our harvests are hampered either by lack of rain or unseasonal rain, not to speak of the possible shortfall in grain output by 3.9 percent every year due to the effect of climate change, the need for long-term and comprehensive policy to address the problem of hunger in Bangladesh is even more acute.

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