An adult has to consume at least 2,122 calories a day. To ensure the minimum intake of food, Tk 1,851 ($16.92) is spent per month on average, according to latest information of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). The government organization calls it food poverty line. However, World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations entity, says that throughout the month of December, last year, a person had to spend Tk 2,799 ($25.59) to buy food worth the minimum calories. So, there is gap of 34 percent between the figures of BBS and WFP.      

About the significant gap between the two organizations, experts say that it is not possible to meet the minimum food requirement of a person with the amount of money stated by BBS. The survey based on which the food poverty line was determined was conducted at a time when the world commodity market was passing through a turbulent time due to the Russia-Ukraine war. And, the price of essentials increased further after the survey was conducted. Besides, it is alleged that there are procedural weaknesses in the survey. These reasons may be attributed to the difference between the two entities.   

For the consumption of 2,122 calories a day, BBS has fixed a food basket taking the measured intake of 11 basic items into consideration. These are coarse rice, wheat, lentil, milk, edible oil, fish, meat, potato, vegetables, sugar and fruits. According to the data based on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2022, a person has to spend at least Tk 1,851 to have consume food in a specified quantity. It is impossible to have necessary nutrition with less than this amount. Therefore, this figure is considered food poverty line.

BBS officials claim that there are procedural differences between the two organizations in determining the cost of food. So, they are not comparable.  

Mohiuddin Ahmed, project director of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey, told Bonik Barta, “The food poverty line refers to minimum spending of a person on food that is needed for survival. This cannot be calculated based on the value of food basket. There are many processes involved with that. WFP defines minimum food intake differently.”          

Food poverty line can be different based on time and place, BBS survey says. In eight divisions of the country, food poverty line is different in villages and towns. People in the urban areas of Rajshahi spend Tk 1,710 ($15.64) per month while the residents of town areas of Sylhet spend Tk 1,960 ($17.92), the highest in the country.

As per the WFP data, the price of a food basket was Tk 2,799 ($25.59) in December, 2023. The WFP monthly food basket comprises of 7.8 kilograms of coarse rice, 900 grams of wheat, 1.5 kg of potato, 900 gms of lentil and beans, 4.5 kgs of leafy vegetables, 4.5 kgs of vegetables, 3 kgs of fruits, 3 kgs of fish, meat and poultry, 1.8 kg of eggs, 4.5 kgs of milk, 750 gms of sugar, 900 gms of edible oil and 600 gms of spices.        

“The rate of hungry people was not going down in line with poverty in Bangladesh. The food intake has decreased with the rise of inflation. Due to the procedural errors in BBS survey, the real picture is not reflected,” Professor Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, head of the Development Studies Department at Dhaka University and the founding chairperson of research organisation Unnayan Annesha, told Bonik Barta.

Some experts point out that one of reasons for the difference between the two organizations could be the timeline. BBS survey covered January-December period of 2022 while WFP published the price of their food basket in December, 2023. So, due to the price hike of essentials, spending could be little different. However, the expenditure shown in the BBS survey does not reflect the real scenario of the 2022 market of high inflation.     

Professor Dr Ruhul Amin of Dhaka University’s Nutrition and Food Science Department told Bonik Barta, “First of all, everyone does not need 2,122 calories a day. It depends on age and gender. There may be some procedural differences between the surveys of two organizations.”

“But, intake of food worth 2,122 calories with Tk 1,851 was not possible at that time (2022) and it is not possible today,” he added.  

According to recently published WFP report titled ‘Bangladesh Market Monitor December 2023’, the price of food basket increased by 15 percent in one year starting from December, 2023. The price of food basket in 2022 was Tk 2,435 ($22.26). The price of essential food items increased significantly in that year due to world crises, high cost of commodities and high inflation. As a result, food insecurity is on the rise and poor people are the main victims.

When approached for comments on the issue, former Food Secretary Abdul Latif Mondal told Bonik Barta, “When it comes to information, there is always a difference between the surveys of the government organizations and international or private entities.”

With the amount mentioned by BBS, it is not possible for a person to meet their food requirements, as the price of essentials increased significantly due to various reasons, he added.