Bangladesh’s Food Minister Md. Abdul Bari informed the National Parliament that the country wastes about 3.5 million tons of food each year, citing data from the United Nations Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index 2024. He said this figure reflects the overall national food waste situation. The minister made the statement on Monday during the second day of the second session of the 13th National Parliament.

Bari explained that food grains collected and stored under the Food Ministry’s management experience some losses during distribution, but the amount has been reduced through improved storage and transport systems. He highlighted that modern silos and warehouses have been built and awareness among stakeholders has increased, leading to a gradual reduction in waste.

According to the minister, food grain losses in government management dropped from 21,329.88 metric tons (0.316%) in fiscal year 2023–24 to 18,887.347 metric tons (0.28%) in 2024–25. He added that the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority is working to ensure food security and raise public awareness to prevent waste.