A review of food security and the potentials to develop spatially informed food policies in Bangladesh

Background: Food security globally depends primarily on three components: food availability, food access, and food utilization. Regional variations of these components may affect food security via spatial differences in natural, social or economic conditions and the interaction of these in a complex environmental system. Purpose: It is important to understand the regional variation of food security, particularly where and under what natural and socio-economic circumstances people become vulnerable to low food security in a country. Methods: This article provides an overview of food security in Bangladesh in terms of the three main components, identifies knowledge gaps in present food security research, reviews possible impacts of climate change on food security, and sourced a wide range of spatio-temporal data relevant for food security. Results: The study highlights potentials and indicates different processes to develop spatially informed food policies in a country, particularly focuses on Bangladesh. This will contribute to improved food security by considering regional food security conditions, region-specific deficits, climate change, other future risks, and devises actions related to the respective components. Conclusion: The study concludes that different processes can provide a foundation for policy development and these will advance research-policy linkage to improved food security.Iffat Ara, Bertram Ostendor