Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
NUTRITION PROGRAMS
. The Community Nutrition Initiative and Train-
ing and Nutrition Centers components of the Integrated Food Security program
mainly aim at improving the nutritional status of children and women from ultra-
poor rural families. The Community Nutrition Initiative and Training and Nu-
trition Centers follow an area-based approach and are beneficiary-driven, using
participatory techniques for microplanning at the village level. The Atta Forti-
fication pilot project initiated by the World Food Programme (WFP) distributes
micronutrient-fortified
atta
(whole-wheat flour) to VGD women to replace their
regular wheat ration in the traditional VGD program to ensure nutrition secu-
rity along with food security. Moreover, the School Feeding program distrib-
utes energy- and micronutrient-fortified biscuits to primary school children
each day, which provides 300 calories and 75 percent of the recommended daily
allowance of micronutrients and common vitamins.
RELIEF PROGRAMS
. These programs are designed to mitigate the conse-
quences of disasters, such as floods, hurricanes, and other weather-related shocks.
Currently, there are only two such programs—the Vulnerable Group Feeding
and the Gratuitous Relief programs. Unlike other programs, there are no pre-
determined criteria or conditionalities for participation in these programs. These
are relief programs that help the poor cope by providing stop-gap consumer re-
sources at times of natural disasters.
The key message that emerges from this characterization is that the SSN
programs in Bangladesh have evolved from being relief-oriented to incorporat-
ing various components of long-term development objectives; and the govern-
ment has formed strong partnership with NGOs and multilateral and bilateral
development organizations in implementing them. For example, the Vulnerable
Group Feeding program, which was serving as a pure relief distribution pro-
gram since its inception in 1975, was renamed as the Vulnerable Group Devel-
opment (VGD) program in the mid-1980s, when development objectives were
incorporated into the program. One of the key changes in the program design
was that, to remain enrolled in the program, program beneficiaries were now
required to obtain training on income-generating activities administered by the
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee. The underlying idea was that, af-
ter a 2-year program cycle, the beneficiaries would save and build assets to be
eligible to participate in the microfinance programs of the Bangladesh Rural
Advancement Committee or other similar organizations.
Performance of the PFDS
The assessment of the PFDS performance is closely linked to their underlying
objectives, which can be categorized as (1) enforcing floor and ceiling prices,
(2) targeting distribution to alleviate poverty and ensure food security for the
vulnerable groups, and (3) managing disasters. Such an assessment is difficult,
because in addition to financial costs, achievement of these objectives entails
