Experts call for culturally grounded nutrition interventions in Bangladesh
Food and nutrition experts have called for culturally appropriate interventions in Bangladesh that address the social, economic and behavioural factors influencing dietary choices.
A total of 39 experts from the government, academia, civil society, the food and restaurant industry, youth organisations, and CGIAR joined the Expert Elicitation Workshop on nutrition interventions organised by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) at the Sheraton Dhaka, according to a press release.
The workshop identified opportunities for nutrition interventions that could promote healthier, more sustainable planetary health diets.
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It used a rapid, structured expert elicitation process to gather collective knowledge about the factors influencing what, why and when people eat.
The participants represented the fields of nutrition, food science and technology, household food practices and food services.
They came from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, The Aga Khan Academy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, Daffodil International University, Dhaka University, Noakhali Science and Technology University, Alive and Thrive Dhaka, Bangladesh Diabetic Network Ltd, BRAC Health Program, GAIN Bangladesh, SAJIDA Foundation, SUN Bangladesh Youth Network, Doehler Group Bangladesh, restaurant businesses, the International Food Policy Research Institute and IRRI.
Representatives of youth organisations, a food historian and food vloggers also attended, offering perspectives on traditional Bangladeshi cuisine, evolving food cultures and changing dietary patterns.
The workshop used the Gastronomic Systems Research (GSR) framework to generate structured evidence on the cultural, social, economic, and behavioural drivers of food choices in Bangladesh.
Through guided discussions, participants shared expertise on foods commonly consumed during different eating occasions, cultural and social influences on dietary choices, food affordability, other economic factors, seasonal changes in food availability, food environments and purchasing behaviour.
They also examined barriers to adopting healthier diets and potential opportunities for nutrition interventions.
Expert elicitation is increasingly recognised as a valuable method of generating evidence, particularly in areas where empirical data are limited or timely information is required to support research and decision-making.
Opening the workshop, IRRI Project Leader Dr Arindam Samaddar said improving diets was not only about producing more food but also about understanding why people chose the foods they ate.
He said food choices were shaped by culture, affordability, availability, convenience and personal preferences.
"By understanding these everyday decisions, we can design nutrition interventions that are more relevant, practical and likely to improve people's diets," he said.
"If diets are culturally shaped, interventions must also be culturally designed."
IRRI Representative for Bangladesh Dr Humnath Bhandari said health and nutrition were integral to IRRI's new strategy.
He said the strategy reflected the institute's commitment to advancing rice-based food systems that delivered not only food security but also better nutrition and healthier diets.
Bangladesh Agricultural University Department of Food Engineering and Technology Associate Professor Dr Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan said the GSR framework offered a simple, practical and sustainable approach to addressing complex nutrition challenges.
"The GSR framework is simple, effective and sustainable. It provides a practical way to address complex nutrition challenges through interventions grounded in people's everyday food choices," he said.
"This approach has the potential to create meaningful, real-life impacts by informing solutions that are relevant, scalable and responsive to local contexts."
Bangladesh Diabetic Network Ltd Chief Dietitian Israt Jahan Dorin emphasised the importance of understanding food choices in addressing the growing burden of diet-related diseases.
"I believe understanding the cultural drivers of food choices is fundamental to designing effective diabetes prevention and nutrition interventions," she said.
"By recognising how culture, traditions and everyday food practices influence dietary decisions, we can develop interventions that are practical, culturally appropriate and more likely to improve health outcomes."
