Bangladesh and the Netherlands today signed a MoU aiming reduce food wastage at the Food Ministry conference room. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Jan 16, 2025 (BSS) – Bangladesh and the Netherlands today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aiming mainly to reduce food wastage and promote a balanced food intake habit in the South Asian country as part of its efforts to address food security challenges, officials said.
   
“Under the deal CoMove Foundation of the Netherlands will support Bangladesh to reduce food wastage and take steps to ensure food security in our country,” a food ministry spokesman said.
   
He said the MoU intended to focus on changing food habit in Bangladesh as well promoting balanced food intake to reduce vulnerability regarding food security by developing necessary policies.
    
According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024 every year 14.10 million tonnes of food is wasted in Bangladeshi households.
   
The UNEP study found an estimated 82 kilograms of food is wasted by a person in Bangladesh per year, a figure much higher than that in rich countries like the United States, the Netherlands and Japan where the volumes are 73 kg, 59 kg and 60 kg respectively.
   
The food ministry issued a statement saying CoMove Foundation director general Bert Dautzenberg and the ministry’s additional secretary Ziauddin Ahmed signed the MoU.
   
CoMove works around the globe to support local, regional and national governments, organisations, partners, communities close to impact.
 
“We do so by supporting designing and implementing sustainability policies and programs,” the CoMove website said.