Our Food, Our Future: Why Nature Matters from Coast to Kitchen

From the remote beaches of Bangladesh’s southern coast to the busy fish and vegetable markets of Dhaka, one story is unfolding — and it's about far more than food.

Plastic-filled rivers, vanishing bees, erratic weather, and struggling farmers may seem like separate problems. But in truth, they’re all part of a single, connected crisis. Our food system — the way we grow, fish, distribute, and access food — is under growing pressure.

At IPAO, we call this our shared challenge: Our Food, Our Future.

The Problem Starts Where the Land Meets the Sea

Bangladesh’s coastlines are vital — rich in fish, shrimp, and fertile land. But today, they’re on the front lines of climate change.

• Each year, millions of tons of plastic flow into the Bay of Bengal. Discarded fishing nets and waste choke marine life, clog estuaries, and destroy breeding grounds.
• Sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion are turning once-productive farmland into dry, cracked earth.
• Stronger, more frequent cyclones leave behind broken boats, flooded homes, and lost harvests.

And it’s the small-scale fishers and coastal farmers — often with just a single net or plot of land — who suffer most.

On the Land: Nature’s Helpers Are Disappearing

Did you know that 75% of the crops we eat depend on pollinators like bees and butterflies?

But rising pesticide use, habitat loss, and climate shifts are driving these tiny heroes away. In Bangladesh, scientists warn that honeybee populations are declining due to widespread chemical use in agriculture. When pollinators vanish, fruit and vegetable harvests shrink — and nutrition suffers.

Farmers are noticing the change. Crops don’t yield like they used to. Fields need more fertilizer. And the balance that once came from nature is fading fast.

In Cities, Prices Keep Rising

These losses ripple into the cities.

In 2024–25, Bangladesh saw sharp food price inflation:

• Broiler chicken prices jumped Tk 40–50/kg

• Pangas and koi fish rose Tk 30–48/kg

As farming becomes more uncertain and fishing yields decline, the price of basic protein — essential for nutrition — rises. Low-income families are hit the hardest, forced to choose cheaper, less nutritious foods or reduce meal sizes.

Urban food insecurity isn’t separate from rural loss — it’s a direct result of it.

A Cycle That Hurts Everyone

Polluted coasts damage fish stocks. Fewer pollinators mean smaller harvests. Floods and salt turn good land bad. Markets feel the pressure. And ultimately, every family — rural or urban — pays more for less.

It’s one food system. And it’s under stress.

IPAO’s Response: One Campaign, Many Solutions

IPAO’s Our Food, Our Future campaign takes a connected approach to a connected crisis.

• Protecting pollinators: Through pollinator-friendly farming, we encourage native plants, reduced pesticide use, and better biodiversity practices.
• Empowering livelihoods: We work with fishers and farmers to adapt to climate challenges using solar irrigation, composting, and crop diversification.
• Raising awareness: We tell stories — from the shoreline to the market — to help people understand that protecting nature means protecting nutrition, income, and dignity.

This isn’t just about fixing one problem. It’s about strengthening the whole system — people, planet, and plates.

What Can You Do?

Support change. Your voice, your share, your support can help clean rivers, restore fields, and equip farmers and fishers with the tools they need.

Watch our stories. Our upcoming video series will take you to the front lines — where nature and community meet, and where resilience is growing.

Join the campaign. Because when we protect our food, we protect our future.

#OurFoodOurFuture | #IPAO | #ClimateAction | #FoodSecurity | ipaongo.org