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Achieving Food and Nutrition Security in the Chittagong hill tracts

Improving livelihoods through sustainable management of natural resources and technological innovations in agriculture

Year of publication 2014

Pages 24 p.

Product type Booklet

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) The Chittagong Hill Tracts are a unique part of Bangladesh. Large tracts of the region are covered by hills, creating a mountain ecosystem rich in biological and cultural diversity. In this area people have developed distinct agricultural practices and livelihood patterns. The CHT are home to a large number of ethnic communities, who depend mostly on jum, a type of traditional shifting cultivation on very steep slopes. The CHT are divided administratively into the three hill districts of Bandarb an, Khagrachari and Rangamati. It has a total population of about 1.7 million people and covers an area of 13,295 km². The harsh environment and decades of social unrest have made the hill tracts one of the most vulnerable regions in the country in terms of food security, income, employment, health, water and sanitation, education, access to infrastructure and services. The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord, signed in 1997, brought an end to more than two decades of conflict, making it possibl e for the local population to start improving their lives. The present challenges include land and population pressure, water scarcity in the dry season, extreme remoteness, weak market linkages and natural resource degradation. Greater efforts are needed to ensure that all the people in the Chittagong Hill Tracts enjoy food and nutrition security with respect for their unique traditions and identities.

Language English

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    In remote areas of CHT, food insecurity is chronic and a widespread phenomenon, particularly during the months between June and August. During this time - overlapping with the monsoon season and the pre-harvest season of the jum rice - families run out of stocks and have limited opportunities to earn money outside the homestead. In the winter months drought is also a regular problem. Food insecurity is prevalent, and nutritional status is poorer than the rest of Bangladesh. From 2010 onwards, a series of natural shocks (pest infestations, flash flood, landslides, etc) has worsened the situation, affecting the most vulnerable, especially women who generally suffer most by eating less compared to other members of the households. From relief to development: working with rural men and women to restore their agricultural livelihoods FAO partnered with an EU resource partner and the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA) to implement sustainable agricultural practices in the interest of better food and nutrition security.
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    The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating impacts on the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) area, leading to an increase in poverty. There has been a significant loss in production, which has resulted in heightened vulnerability among farmers and their families. The effects extend to various aspects of life, including family income, nutrition, education and access to health services. The necessary COVID-19 pandemic containment measures, such as quarantines, travel restrictions and city lockdowns, severely affected economic activities in transportation, retail trade, leisure, hospitality and recreation. The situation for poor farming communities in the mountainous areas of CHT particularly worsened. Farmers have been facing significant losses due to the decreased prices of their agricultural products, especially seasonal vegetables and fruits. The prices of vegetables and fruits have dropped by 20 percent to 40 percent over 2020 in the CHT area, induced by the COVID-19 situation. Seasonal fruits, such as pineapples, were notably being sold at much lower prices than usual. This economic downturn has resulted in many farmers losing their livelihoods and experiencing food insecurity.
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    The remote and hilly Chittagong Hill Tracts ( of Bangladesh are geographically, topographically and ethno culturally different from the country’s low lying plains They are home to approximately 1 7 million people from 12 different ethnic groups, with the majority of households being engaged in subsistence farming The agricultural potential for field crops in the area is low however, fruit tree crops have been found to grow well in upland areas These crops, including bananas, citrus fruits, jackfruit, lychees, mangoes and papayas, are gradually replacing jum a traditional form of shifting cultivation that is carried out on very steep slopes The income provided by fruit tree cultivation has improved the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by helping them generate income Investments have been made to expand fruit tree plantations in the CHTs, which are expected to increase production substantially in the near future.
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