Transcript Document

Addressing Food Security in Bangladesh: Role of MOFDM and FPMU

Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) Food Division Ministry of Food and Disaster Management

Presentation to Cambodian Food Security Team

February 22, 2010

Background: Food Security

 Near self-sufficiency in rice: production tripled since 1971, but deficit in wheat  Significant growth of production of vegetables, fruits, fish, meat and egg, still below requirement  Dwindling production of pulses and oilseeds  Improving nutritional status, but still high level of malnutrition among children and women  ~30% of the population calorie poor, ~37 % income poor

Background : Food Security

 Persistent challenges  decreasing land, environmental (soil) degradation, increasing population, household level food insecurity, widening consumption & income inequality  Emerging challenges 

Climate change impacts

• Salinity increase and submergence in the south and • • south-west Uneven temperature stresses and rain fall Drought in the north and north-west • Increased frequency/intensity of natural disasters 

World food market volatility/uncertainty

World economic recession

Background: Role of the Govt.

 Responsibility of the state under Bangladesh Constitution (art 15 & 18): ensure food, health and  nutrition Rules of Business of the Government  Allocation of Business to Ministries & Divisions  Policy framework:  National Food Policy 2006  National Food Policy Plan of Action (2008-2015)  PRSP-II  Other policies

Institutional Hierarchy

 Cabinet: headed by the Honorable PM  Ministries and Divisions  Agencies  Regions, District and Upazila (Sub-district) offices  Local Government Institutions at the root (Upazila parishad, Union Parishad) command info

Govt. stakeholders/partners

 Food Availability: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Food & DM, Ministry of Fisheries & Livestock; Agencies-DAE, DGF, DOL, DOF etc.

 Access to Food: Ministry of Food & DM Ministry of LGRD&C Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Women & Children Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Social Welfare; Agencies: DGF, DRR, LGRD & RD , DOWCA etc.

 Nutrition: Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Food & DM, Ministry of Industries, Ministry of LGRD&C; Agencies: BNNC, BBF, DGH, BSTI, IPHN, IPH, DPHE etc.

Role of MOFDM

 Ensuring Food security  Disaster risk reduction Policy, regulatory and coordinating role

Role of MOFDM: improving access and availability

 Guide (design, implement, monitor and evaluate) safety net programs  Guide Public Food Distribution System  Maintain Public Stock: over 1.3 million MT  Public Procurement of food grain-domestic & international: (1.6+1.0) = 2.6 million MT  Stabilize market prices: Domestic procurement and Open Market Sale  Mobilize financial resources; Manage human resources  Monitoring and evaluation, analysis and research

Role of MOFDM: safety net programs Types of social safety net programs:

Cash Transfer (Allowances) Program (e.g.

GR cash) 

Cash Transfer (Special) Program (e.g. Cash For Work, Housing support, Fund for disaster risk reduction)

Food Security Programs (e.g. Vulnerable Group Dev., Vulnerable Group Feeding, Test relief, Gratuitous Relief, Food For Works)

Tied Micro-Credit Programs (e.g. VGD)

Employment gen prog. for hard core poor Major criteria:

i) income/asset criteria; ii) occupational criteria; iii) ethnic criteria; iv) gender and children criteria; and v) regional disparity criteria

Role of MOFDM: safety net programs Extended budget:

about 2.8 % of the GDP & 16.94% of public expenditure (Source: PRSP-II)

2.67 million tons of foodgrain allocated for 2009-10 Public food distribution over the years Shift in approach:

charity to development

More targeted

2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 19 97 /9 8 19 98 /9 9 19 99 /0 0 20 00 /0 1 20 01 /0 2 20 02 /0 3 20 03 /0 4 20 04 /0 5 20 05 /0 6 20 06 /0 7 20 07 /0 8

Fiscal year

Monetized Non Monetized Total

Role of MOFDM: safety net programs **Immediate economic improvement effects; *** development effects ; ***empowerment impacts Participants’ Perception about assistance in percent (Khan et al, 2006) Lowest 10% Lowest Quintile 2nd Quintile 3rd Quintile 4th Quintile Top Quintile Total Very Helpful 60.5

Modera tely Helpful 33.8

Slightly Helpful 5.8

Not Helpful 0.0

56.1

37.3

6.6

0.0

56.7

34.1

8.3

0.9

59.2

30.9

9.1

0.9

63.6

26.5

8.9

1.1

50.4

31.5

18.1

0.0

57.6

33.3

8.5

0.5

Issues and challenges of SSNPs

Fiscal Constraints:

Dwindling food aid/ unpredictability/delay in aid arrival,

Inadequate storage facilities in PFDS, Insufficient resources to import from own resources,

Limited Coverage, Inadequacy of the Amount of Transfers •

Institutional Constraints:

Absence of Integrated National SSN Policy

, Gender specific risks and insecurity in the labour market; Targeting and leakages •

Information Constraints:

Missing Poor and New Vulnerabilities; Insensitivity to Geographic and Agro Ecology Specific Poverty

MOFDM hierarchy

Honorable Minister Secy, Food divn Secy, DM divn.

•Admin. Wing •Food Wing (2) •

FPMU

DGF • Admin. Wing • Relief & DM Wing (2) Attached Departments DRR, DMB

Role of FPMU……

 Established in 1980 at the Planning Commission, now a wing of MOFDM  Serve as the policy analysis support unit of MOFDM:   Production and Early Warning; Market Monitoring and Government Food Operation Planning;  Policy Advisory Research and  Food Security Consumption and Nutrition Analysis  Provide secretarial functions to Food Planning & Monitoring Committee (FPMC)  NFP-POA implementation monitoring

Role of FPMU

  Implement relevant decisions by Cabinet Division or other authority in respect of food policy.

Forecast/provide “Early Warning” on food situation based on analysis of (primary and) secondary information.  Formulate food security policies; monitor implementation  Conduct field study and research on all aspects of food policy, e.g. subsidy, marketing, pricing and distribution policies etc  Publish bulletins/reports: daily/fortnightly/monthly/quarterly/research-study reports related to food security

Role of FPMU in Bangladesh Food Policy

Honorable Minister

Food Planning and Monitoring Committee (FPMC) Secretary, Food Director General, FPMU Production and Early Warning Service Market Monitoring and Government Food Operation Policy Adv. Research and Statistical Analysis Food Security Consumption and Nutrition Analysis

Organogram of FPMU

Director General

Research Director (PCRSA) Assoc. Director Assoc Director Research Officer Research Director (PMEW) Assoc.

Director Research Director (MMGFM) Assoc.

Director Assoc.

Director Research Director (FSCN) Assoc.

Director Research Officer Research Officer Research Officer Research Officer Research Officer Research Investigator

Interministerial Committees

 Food Planning and Monitoring Committee  Early Warning Technical Committee  Food Security, Consumption and Nutrition Technical Committee  Safety Net Monitoring Committee  Food Policy Working Group  Thematic Teams (4)

Food Planning and Monitoring Committee

Honorable Minister, MOFDM Honorable Minister, Finance Honorable Minister, LGRD Honorable Minister, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Secretary, Agriculture Secretary, Finance Secretary, Planning Secretary, IRD Secretary, MOFDM DG, FPMU - Chairman -Member -Member -Member -Member -Member -Member -Member -Member -Member -Member-secretary

Working Linkages of FPMU

Cabinet Division MOFDM

11 Ministries:

MOA, MOFL, MOF, MOLGRD, Planning, MOHFW, MOWCA, MOSW, MOWR, MOEF, etc

Research Org

GOB (BARC, BRRI, BARI), Universities (INFS), International (IFPRI), Non Governmental FPMC FPMU Civil Society

Dev. Partners

UN-FAO, WFP; WB, ADB, EC, USAID etc

GOB Agencies

DGF, DMB, DRR, DAE, BBS, DWCA, DSW, BNNC, SPARSO, DGH, etc Regional/Inter Governmental Org e.g. SAARC

Sources and Information

             DGF : Public Procurement, Distribution, Commercial import, Stock, Market price.

DRR, DMB: Disaster Interventions WFP, DEV. PARTNERS: Food Aid, Intl food situation MOA : Fertilizer prices, production, area, yield, etc MO Finance: Food budget, Macro indices DAE : Area of cultivation, Yield, Production, tech adoptn.

BBS : Production, Yield, Population, Consumption, DAM BMD WDB SPARSO FAO SAARC Poverty, irrigation data : Market prices : Weather- Rainfall, Temp, Sunshine : Irrigation data, flood situation : Area of cultivation, Yield, Production : World cereal production, Prices : Regional Food Production, Stock, Management, Safety Standards etc.

FPMU reports

 Daily Food Situation  Fortnightly Foodgrain Outlook (English & Bengali)  Fortnightly Food Scenario  Monthly Early Warning  Quarterly Food Situation  Yearly food situation database pocket book  Field production monitoring report (RRA)  Food consumption and nutrition monitoring report (RRA)  NFP-POA monitoring report

Strengthening of FPMU-ongoing initiatives

 Training programs to raise efficiency of the professional staffs  Computer aided analysis/tools  Communication and IT staffs  Electronic database  Physical library/Virtual library  Reduction of dependency on secondary data  Increased field study and research works Under NFPCSP

Conclusion

 Analyzing food security policies has been an increasingly complex task  Need adaptive capacity to execute the tasks properly  Exchange and visits and building networks across countries and regions, among others, are important steps

Thank you all