Current Conditions: Food Security

Although food grain is more available in good harvest years, Bangladesh as a whole still has a very low level of nutrition. This means many households and individuals do not eat a balanced, nutritious diet, even in good years. According to the World Bank, approximately 33 million of the 150 million people in Bangladesh cannot afford an average daily intake of more than 1800 kilocalories (the minimum standard for nutrition as set by the World Food Program). For people in most developing countries, the daily calorie average is 2,828. In Bangladesh, that average is only 2,190.

Poverty is the major factor effecting food security in Bangladesh.  Despite the impressive increases in food grain, around half of Bangladeshis remain below the established food based poverty line.  And, as many as one third are living in extreme poverty and severely undernourished.  Recent food price increases, regular natural disasters, and strains on the global economic market have caused additional destabilization.

Limited Food for the Very Poor

The very poor in Bangladesh simply do not have enough money for food, much less enough to eat nutritiously. 49% of Bangladeshis fall below the poverty line and 42% of the total population survives on less than a dollar a day. Bangladesh is a disaster prone area subject to flooding, mud slides, and cyclones.  As much as 50% of the population lives in these disaster prone areas, which further complicates their already vulnerable situation.  During natural disasters, families often lose what few possessions they may own.

USAID's Response