Bangladesh is a rapidly growing commercial hub, with industries like agriculture, ready-made garments, shipbuilding, leather, textiles, and food processing employing millions of people. Yet, while these sectors continue to expand, malnutrition among its workers remains a significant issue. This not only compromises the health and wellbeing of the workers themselves, but also their productivity in the workplace. In Bangladesh, the Global Nutrition report highlights that 37% of women of reproductive age are anaemic, while 6.2% of adult women and 3.0% of adult men are obese1. At the same time, national research indicates that 13% of urban women and 28.0% of rural women are underweight2. Considering that the majority of adults spend over 30% of their lives at work, the workplace emerges as an important entry point when aiming to address malnutrition. Additionally, the annual loss of over $1 billion in productivity due to malnutrition3 also highlights the urgent need for workplace-based nutrition interventions.
Recognizing the significance of good nutrition for workers, the Department of Labour (DoL) from the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) launched the Bangladesh Workforce Nutrition Alliance in 2022. This initiative is designed to empower employers to support their employees’ nutrition through healthy food at work, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and nutrition-focused health checks.
Companies Taking the Lead in Workforce Nutrition
Several companies like Khulna Shipyard Limited (KSY), Organic Jeans Limited – Shin Shin Group, Rosemco Foods Ltd., Fresh Foods Limited, and KDS Group with a collective workforce of over 1700 employees are already known for training their staff on a variety of subjects. Every year, they enroll employees in trainings on labour laws, cervical cancer awareness, firefighting, fire safety, and production safety training. However, despite these efforts, nutrition education was often overlooked.
Recognizing the gap in nutritional knowledge and its impact on employee health and productivity, the Alliance organized a region-specific sensitization workshop for companies, emphasizing the importance of workforce nutrition in boosting productivity. After attending the workshop and understanding the benefits of joining the National Alliance, many companies signed up for memberships. Today, 221 companies across various sectors are members of the Alliance.
Transforming Knowledge into Action
Focal persons from each company later participated in a Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on basic nutrition and food safety, organized by the DoL with technical support from GAIN. The workshop certified them as master trainers, and they returned to their workplaces equipped with new strategies to educate colleagues and staff. Excited by the positive feedback from the workshop, company management formally requested additional support from the DoL and GAIN to extend the training to more employees.
In response, the DoL dispatched a Senior Nutritionist and Public Health Expert to the respective companies to conduct in-depth training on nutrition and food safety, supported by the master trainers. Nearly 3,000 employees across five companies participated.
“After participating in the ToT, I came to know the importance of workers consuming nutritious food, which impacts their productivity and enhances the company’s production. Following that, I will give each employee a piece of lemon and a green chili to eat during their lunch break. Given that this training benefits the employee as well as the business, I would also like to continue it.” – Nazmul Huda Chawdhury, HR & Admin Manager at Rosemco Foods Limited.
Real Impact on Employees and Companies
One of the key takeaways from the training was debunking the myth that only expensive foods are nutritious. Employees learned how to eat healthily on a budget, incorporating diverse, safe foods, clean water, and supplements like Iron Folic Acid into their diets.
“We aspire to rectify the misconception that expensive foods are nutritious by conducting this training on basic nutrition and safe food. We can acquire the knowledge necessary to consume nutritious food within our restricted budget and implement this practice for our family.” – General Manager Capt. A. N. M. Didarul Alam (KSY) on his motivation to participate in the training.
The training also highlighted that many employees were skipping breakfast or relying on meals consisting mainly of rice and potatoes—far from a balanced diet. The Senior Nutritionist provided practical advice on how to improve their meals, leading to a commitment from employees to prioritize eating nutritious meals. In addition, the employees gained a deep understanding of how healthier food choices could prevent non-communicable diseases and improve their overall well-being.
Feedback from Company Management
The positive impact of the training was echoed by other company executives as well:
“I was captivated by the training content, as it was a message that was crucial for all employees. This form of training can improve the workers’ nutritional food consumption habits, as they lack sufficient knowledge regarding basic nutrition and safe food. I would like to extend an invitation to the Department of Labour and GAIN to provide additional technical assistance in organizing this sort of training for our Company”. – Cdre Shamsul Aziz, Managing Director of KSY.
“The training is of great significance; all participants should adhere to the message conveyed during the training and share it with their colleagues.” – Mr. SK Hamidul Haq, Manager of Fresh Foods Limited
Commitments to a Healthier Future
“The support you provided today from DoL and GAIN is greatly appreciated for the well-being of our employees. Numerous nutritious food alternatives are available at reduced prices. Their productivity will increase if they are able to consume a balanced diet.” – Alim Ullah Murad, Chief Operating Officer/Director of Organic Jeans Limited.
The workshop’s success inspired Organic Jeans Ltd. and KDS Group to take their commitment on improving employee’s nutrition to the next level by establishing Nutrition Improvement Committees (NIC). All the company management pledged to organise a ToT for the employee who would become a master trainer ensuring that nutritional knowledge reaches every staff member. Furthermore, they expressed interest to incorporating nutrition education into their annual training programmes and even exploring the idea of using educational tools such as “food plate”4, to promote the consumption of diverse diets among employees.
This training has set a strong example for other organizations in Bangladesh, demonstrating that proper nutrition and workplace productivity go hand in hand. As the Workforce Nutrition Alliance continues to advance its mission, companies across the country can expect ongoing support from DoL and GAIN, fostering a healthier and more productive workforce.
References
- https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/asia/southern-asia/bangladesh/ ↩︎
- Dey, S., Zahangir, M. S., Faruk, M. O., Hossain, S., & Hossain, M. R. (2024). Prevalence and determinants of malnutrition among women of reproductive age in Bangladesh. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 2, 100096. ↩︎
- https://www.daily-sun.com/post/178498 ↩︎
- https://www.fhi360.org/wp-content/uploads/drupal/documents/resource-shikha-food-plate-design.pdf ↩︎