Nutrition campaign held in Jamalpur on cooking demonstration

A Nutrition Campaign was organised on May 5, 2025, at the Bokshiganj Upazila premises in Jamalpur district to promote awareness of balanced diets, nutrition messages and improved nutrition among rural farming communities.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) organised the event with a technical partnership with the Diversified Resilient Agriculture for Improved Food and Nutrition Security (RAINS) project. The RAINS project is jointly implemented, led by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM), with the technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and GAIN and globally led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), with financial support from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP).

Two hundred fifty women farmers from Bokshiganj Upazila participated in the campaign, focusing on improving their understanding of health and nutrition for better livelihoods.

The primary objective of this nutrition campaign was to raise public awareness about the importance of a healthy and balanced diet that includes all essential nutrients for optimal health, emphasise the necessity of consuming nutritious food, highlight the health benefits of maintaining a balanced, healthier diet, and inform farmers about food and nutrition by sharing relevant nutritional knowledge. As part of the Nutrition Campaign, awareness was raised among farmers through various interactive activities, including a stage nutrition drama conveying key nutrition messages, performances of nutrition-themed songs, and demonstrations of safe cooking methods to promote healthier diets, including a quiz competition on nutrition. 

The event was graced by several distinguished guests, including Dr Muhammad Emdadul Haque, Project Director of the RAINS project; Mr Syed Abu Siam Julkarnain, Deputy Project Director of the RAINS project; Mr Md. Habibur Rahman, Senior Monitoring Officer of the RAINS project; Mr. Masud Rana, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Bokshiganj Upazila; Krishibid Aminul Islam, Upazila Agriculture Officer of Bakshiganj Upazila; Dr. Ashek Mahfuz, Portfolio Lead of GAIN, Members of Mission Team. Also, officials from the Bokshiganj Upazila Agriculture Office and representatives from IFAD, FAO, and GAIN, all of whom lent their support and expertise to the campaign.

Bangladesh is self-sufficient in producing staple grains, particularly rice and paddy. In addition, we have made significant progress in producing fish, meat, eggs, and milk. However, the country still lags in nutrition, especially regarding micronutrients. As a result, issues such as anaemia, stunted growth, and the birth of underweight babies remain everyday occurrences in our country. One of the key reasons behind these challenges is malnutrition and a lack of proper nutritional knowledge on healthier diets.

It is, therefore, critically important to ensure the health and nutrition of farmers who produce our food. If we fail to do so, we may also fall behind in food production. Recognising this, the Switzerland-based international organisation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), has been actively working in Bangladesh through the 'RAINS' project to improve the health and nutrition of farmers.