Malnutrition and food insecurity remain a pressing issue in Bangladesh, with significant implications for public health. Despite improvements in agricultural productivity and food security, the country continues to grapple with micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs), particularly zinc deficiency, which affects vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
According to the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2022),
Zinc Deficiency: A Silent Crisis
Zinc deficiency in Bangladesh is primarily due to a diet heavily reliant on rice, which, while a staple, is naturally low in zinc. Without sufficient zinc in the diet, individuals, especially children and women of reproductive age, suffer from weakened immune systems, slower growth, and complications during pregnancy.
The first (2011–’12) and second (2019–’20) National Micronutrients Surveys reported significant rates of zinc deficiency, especially among vulnerable populations.
This is a serious concern, as zinc deficiency can lead to stunted growth, cognitive impairments, and increased susceptibility to infections, thus exacerbating the overall health burden in the country. The National Micronutrients Surveys highlight the need for sustained dietary intake of zinc, as it is not stored in the body. This underscores the importance of incorporating zinc into staple foods to ensure adequate consumption, and as such, Biofortified Zinc Rice (BZR) stands out as a promising solution.
Biofortified Zinc Rice: A Sustainable Solution
The introduction of Biofortified Zinc Rice offers an innovative approach to increase the zinc intake of millions of consumers. Biofortification is the process of increasing the micronutrient density in staple crops through conventional breeding and other methods. It has proven to be a sustainable strategy for combating micronutrient deficiencies in many countries.
Since 2022, the government, in collaboration with development partners like the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), has successfully promoted the commercialization and demand for 12 varieties of BZR, including the popular BRRI dhan74, a coarse variety that has 24.2 mg of zinc per kilogram of milled rice compared to conventional varieties whose zinc content is less than 14 ppm. Besides its nutritional value, these varieties are high-yielding compared to their traditional counterparts, making them lucrative for farmers. A significant portion of the harvest is consumed by farming households and local communities, thereby improving their nutritional intake.
These zinc-enriched rice varieties are distributed to vulnerable communities through government social safety net programs such as the Food Friendly (FF) Programme and Vulnerable Women Benefit (VWB).
Scaling Up with Government Support
An important aspect of this initiative has been the Bangladesh government’s commitment to scaling up the production and distribution of BZR. The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has been actively involved, issuing a notification that all crop varieties developed in the country must be enriched with one or more nutrients, paving the way for scaled-up production of biofortified crops.
The government’s partnership with GAIN has extended beyond just rice fortification. Collaborative efforts include farmer training programs, ensuring the availability of zinc-enriched seeds, and setting up monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track the impact of BZR on health and agricultural productivity. The Directorate General (DG) of Food, responsible for procurement, storage, and distribution, procures BZR from farmers and distributes it through various social safety net programs.
In 2022, around 5,000 tons of zinc rice were procured, a testament to the scalability of this initiative. GAIN's contributions in demand creation initiatives, further assistance in influencing farmers to grow BZR, generating awareness among consumers about its nutritional benefits, and obtaining approvals from various government departments have strengthened the public procurement of BZR in the country. While the procurement in 2022 covered 5 districts, owing to the success and collaboration efforts, BZR is now being procured from 15 districts in the country.
The success of the BZR initiative can be attributed to the collaborative efforts of the Directorate General of Food, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), GAIN, and several other stakeholders.
GAIN Bangladesh also helped develop a logo for BZR. This logo has been essential in differentiating normal rice varieties from the biofortified ones. Having a separate logo for BZR also helps in monitoring consumption.
Conclusion and Learnings
The public procurement of BZR in Bangladesh offers valuable insights for other countries aiming to address micronutrient deficiencies through biofortification:
- One of the key learnings is the importance of government commitment. With strong government support and partnerships with organizations like GAIN, biofortification has emerged as a scalable solution to combat micronutrient deficiencies in the country.
- Fostering multi-stakeholder collaboration and raising public awareness about the benefits of nutrient-enriched crops. GAIN has been instrumental in equipping SMEs, running awareness campaigns, holding district-level coordination meetings, and video screenings to increase the adoption of BZR.
- Right policy changes and sustained efforts in scaling up biofortified crops served as another key factor in this successful step toward improving public health outcomes. The success of BZR highlights the importance of sustained efforts in scaling up biofortified crops, offering a blueprint for other nations to follow in their own fight against malnutrition.