Independent Dialogue
Geographical focus:
Bangladesh
Main findings
Improving the value chain to reduce food loss and waste and ensure food quality: Establish cold chains and device an integrated plan across the value chain ensuring proper price for products; forecast demands for major agricultural products and modulate production accordingly; invest in research for climate-smart production and marketing systems and scientific and hygienic post-harvest management and processing to increase shelf-life of perishable products; promote business ethics and modern trading practices; introduce dedicated refrigerated vehicles; use GIS mapping to select most effective
... Read morespots to situate storage facilities; device pre and post-harvest waste management systems; promote community enterprise approach; organize farmers under cooperatives; ensure access to safe inputs, financial services, and wider markets; mechanize agriculture to reduce production cost; traceability Upgrade market infrastructures: Build market infrastructures with trained manpower, WASH facilities, uninterrupted electricity, cold chains/ storage facilities, waste management and drainage systems, fire management and close routine monitoring by authorities engaging city governments, BFSA, and consumer associations; environment-friendly, gender-responsive, and climate-resilient physical designs; develop and implement a masterplan for markets; utilize biodegradable wastes in composting; improve crowd control; connect fresh markets with e-commerce; uptake digital payment systems; utilize resources in markets for food production for self-sustaining circular food system economy centering markets; mobilize public-private investments for market upgradation and transformation to smart markets; form fire safety response teams by market committees; source products from affiliated suppliers only; rapid food testing facilities; ensure proper functioning of market committees; introduce certification, grading, and registration scheme for actors; segregated space for different products and separate spots to display, process, and preserve; compliance with market infrastructure design standards; incentivize waste segregation at source; engage private sector in market management Capacity building and awareness: Train up and build widespread awareness among all actors (from producers, vendors to consumers) on food safety, food and personal hygiene, safe food handling and transportation/ preservation, market maintenance rules, good conduct, waste management, food quality, and nutrition over mainstream and social media in collaboration with market committees, government, and private stakeholders; make farmers/ producers aware of safe food production and GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) through trainings and demonstrations; strengthen civil society and consumers’ movement for safe and nutritious food; social and behavioral change programs; develop targeted knowledge products/ communication materials; conduct sector-wise mass campaign; trainings at different levels (market authorities, traders) on market management, governance, and systemic change to respond to shocks and crisis Policy, governance, monitoring, and coordination: Enact legal framework including policies and programs aligned with international standards; horizontal accountability by all stakeholders; decentralized authorities; stronger and more coordinated monitoring and supervision throughout supply chain; prioritize development of market infrastructures in development agenda to ensure adequate allocation of public resources; enhanced cooperation/ coordination among relevant government departments and ministries; formulation of a separate body inside city government responsible for market infrastructure development, planning, implementation, monitoring, upgradation/ maintenance, and management; formulate and enforce regulations for better governance of markets; market management guidelines with specific responsibilities for market committee; provisions for penalties and rewards; stakeholder mapping with roles played by different actors to generate informed recommendations to enhance food safety; align all rules, regulations, and law enforcing agencies related to food safety under a common legal framework for better coordination and integration; incentivize value chain actors for producing/ marketing safe foods; record keeping system for traceability; decentralized laboratory facility; joint market monitoring through multi-stakeholder engagement; common platform for suppliers-traders-vendors-consumers; access to production and product information for consumers; forecast consumer demands and ensure supply of products accordingly to avoid price shocks and reduce food loss; engage CSOs and volunteer groups into complaint management; mobilize social investment and capital to leverage technology transfer, adaption of GAP, and market transformation towards responsible consumption and sustainable production; grading and certification of products based on testing; engage different stakeholders in decision making process; central monitoring system to track implementation of market management policies; strengthen monitoring systems; ensure good governance including accountability and transparency; formal institutional structure for market legislation; acts, rules in place with institutional structure to enact those; encourage urban agriculture; efficient coordination among physical infrastructure, management, and governance Read less
Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Keywords: Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Innovation, Policy, Women & Youth Empowerment