Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS), a forerunner of nature conversation NGO of Bangladesh today launched a project today titled Reducing Dietary Related Risks associated with Non-Communicable Diseases in Bangladesh (RDRNCD). The research initiative will work to improve dietary habits by enhancing the consumption of less processed and more diverse food, increasing the consumer demand for nutritious vegetables and fruits and scaling up indigenous vegetables to reduce dietary related risks associated with non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh, with a population exceeding 160 million, is undergoing a rapid demographic and epidemiological transition. More than 51% are dying due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and other chronic health conditions, and the trend of NCDs (primarily cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, obesity and cancers) is rising. Two recent changes in the food intake of the population are noticeable i) the share of processed food is already more than 70% among urban consumers while it is as high as 59% among rural consumers (Reardon et al. 2014); ii) the fast and junk food consumption rate is increasingly alarming. The risk factor survey for NCDs (MHFW, 2010) has identified “low vegetable and fruit intake” as one of the major risk factors for NCDs in Bangladesh.
Research intervention area include 16 Upazillas of 8 Districs in Khulna, Sathkhira, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Sunamgonj, Sherpur, Jamalpur and Pabna. The goal is contributing to reduction of NCD risks among the population of Bangladesh.
The objectives of the project are:
The research will be led by Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS) in association with Institute of Nutrition and food science, Department of Sociology and Department of Public Administration of University of Dhaka; Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI); University of Manitoba, Canada and Channel-i. International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada will fund the research project.
The expected outcomes of the project are as follows.