Right To Food Bangladesh Operational Guideline
At present 795 million people of the world do not have enough food to eat and a huge portion among them (278 million) live in the South Asia Region by FAO report, 2016. These figures, however, underestimate the true extent of food insecurity, which includes hidden hunger, micronutrient deficiencies, food wastage and unsafe food. The challenge of hunger and malnutrition in Asia is complex and multi-faceted that requires a multi-pronged approach. In South Asia, Bangladesh has astonishing success in several areas of the MDGs and food production. Despite some remarkable achievements in practice and policy level, still 24.5% (in context of calorie intake standard) of the total populations are hungry and undernourished in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is far behind of formulating or implementing any law or bill concerning right to food. Moreover, the multifaceted environmental and climatic challenges make it difficult for the small holder producers to maintain their life and livelihood. Considering these diversified challenges, civil society organizations were organized in 2014 and started campaign on Right to Food and relevant issues. As its continual effort, South Asia Right to Food-SARF Conference 2015 was held in Dhaka on May 30-June 1, 2015 where Right to Food Bangladesh-RTF BD has been evolved as umbrella network. Alongside the regional issues related to food and nutritional security, establishing a legal framework regarding right to food and nutritional security in Bangladesh was one of the major aim of this conference. The conference was inaugurated by Honorable Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina. More than 2000 participants including 50 delegates from 15 different countries took part in the conference. The conference came up with The Dhaka Declaration and RtF BD Charter as way forward of right to food movement. RtF BD emerged as canopy network on