Bangladesh's food security under input problems: An analysis of constrains and policy response

Abstract

AbstractFood security is integral to national security discourse directly related to agricultural inputs such as land, water, seeds, and fertilizers. The food production capacity of any country depends mainly on the adequacy of inputs. This study examines the nature and implications of input scarcity in Bangladesh's food security because the state's one‐third of people remain food insecure. With thematic content analysis, time series data, and a critical interpretive approach, the findings show that though Bangladesh achieved self‐sufficiency in food grains, the country faces a substantial reduction threat to food production due to declining cultivated land, water scarcity, poor fertilizer and seed market governance, and inadequate support of bank loans. The study reveals that Bangladesh's soil fertility decreases due to the excessive and imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers, and two‐thirds of farmers do not get improved seeds at fair prices on time because of structural weaknesses in seed markets. The South Asian country also faces a severe threat on the irrigation front as the country is losing surface and groundwater increasingly. Moreover, 1% of agricultural land is ruined yearly due to land conversion to other sectors. Against these backdrops, this article has explored some policy options for reducing the critical constraints in the input sector, which can create a dialogue with existing food and agriculture policies.