The objective of the Dashboard is to digitize and visualize all food system data

Bangladesh has launched a dashboard to ensure robust and data-driven management of food systems.

Food Secretary Ismiel Hossain inaugurated the "Bangladesh Food Systems Dashboard" on Sunday in a first-of-its-kind initiative.

“The objective of the Dashboard is to digitize and visualize all food systems data so that policymakers can make decisions using those data to ensure food and nutrition security, availability and accessibility of safe and nutritious food for all Bangladeshis,” he said.

The Food Planning and Monitoring Unit (FPMU) of the Ministry of Food, the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) jointly developed the mechanism.

GAIN supported the process in partnership with the Columbia Climate School and FAO and in collaboration with different ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture, IFAD, and WFP, among others.

Data is critical in making decisions for policy and different elements of food systems.

“The food systems dashboard is one of the most efficient tools to demonstrate the progress of Bangladesh towards sustainable, equitable and resilient food systems transformation,” Dr Rudaba Khondker, Country Director of GAIN Bangladesh, said.

Currently, Bangladesh has to look for different sources for any food system indicator. Sometimes the reliability of some sources cannot be authenticated.

The new dashboard will provide data generated and authenticated by the BBS, which is Bangladesh's national statistical office.

The outlook of the dashboard can be modified based on the country's needs.

Similar dashboards have been implemented in six other countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Pakistan, and Indonesia, according to GAIN.

“We have multiple sources for the same indicator. If we have one platform for food systems that checks and authenticates secondary data and makes it available for policymakers, that would be beneficial,” Dr Sabiha Sultana, Global Coordinator and Program Manager, Bangladesh Food Systems Dashboard, GAIN, told Dhaka Tribune about the initiative.

“They (policymakers) don't have to look for different sources, and check the methodology as the new dashboard provides all relevant information about the indicator, such as source, definition, missing value, and relevance,” she said.

“We usually have national-level data. The dashboard provides national, divisional and district level data. It can be seen as a graph, map or table. Anyone can download and analyze the data for further research purposes. Currently, it is linked with the global food systems dashboard. It also gives us an opportunity to see Bangladesh's position for any specific indicator in comparison to other countries in the region,” she said.

The launch event also showcased how to use this tool, which can be accessed on the www.foodsystemsdashboard.org website.