Business Opportunities in Developing Countries: Transforming Crops into Food

Nutrition & Development Conference: 17th March 2011 Washington Court Hotel, Washington DC, USA
Mohammad Zahurul Haque Bangladesh Soybean Association

BANGLADESH DESPARETELY NEEDS ALTERNATE SOURCE OF NUTRITION

MOST OF THE POPULATION UNABLE TO GET REQUIRED PROTEIN AND FAT DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGHER COMMODITTY PRICE

Average protein intake of a Bangladeshi adult is less than 10 gm a day for man and 5 gm for woman
Average yearly intake of fat/oil is

less than half liter

Present labor population of Bangladesh is approximately 72.35 million and most of them are hard working and earn less than US$ 2 a day. They are malnourished and vulnerable to several life threatening diseases. These hard working people are not able to take adequate nutrition to maintain their physique because of the extremely higher price of essential commodities.

Because of carbohydrate based diet, these people are always lack of essential vitamins and minerals

Realizing this fact, Bangladesh Soybean Association has been carrying a program under the title Protein & vitamin supplementation for the hard working adult population of Bangladesh

Soybean based protein drink and vitamin energy drink are being used for supplementation.

One 30 gm pouch of SHAKTI (STRENGTH) soy protein can provide with 8 gm protein, 3.5 gm fat and 130 Kcal energy

This drinkable soy protein health beverage cost is Taka 10 (US$ 13.50) with a glass of mineral water

SHAKTI Soy protein health beverage now equally popular among the both male and female hard working labor force

Roadside Tea Shops and Confectioneries started selling Shakti Soy Protein Drink in Dhaka only.

Full fat soybean is the major ingredient in SHAKTI Soy protein health beverage. Earlier, we used locally grown soybean but because of inferior quality, we choose US grown soybean

Through the generous cooperation of WISHH Program of ASA and the Michigan Soybean Promotion Committee, we have imported food grade soybean from USA

We process this FFS in to roasted soy flour and use as major ingredient in chocolate, malted, strawberry or orange flavored soy protein drink. We also mix vitamin premix produced by DSM

We extensively use female workers in our processing factory. These workers can earn upto US$ 3 per day

These are the various soy food products currently available in Bangladesh. These are produced by BSA Merchandizing Council, commercial wing of BSA but there are six other companies now producing and marketing soy food products in Bangladesh

For the promotion of soy food products in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Soybean Association has been carrying massive programs in cooperation with WISHH

This promotion campaign includes Soya Life Road Show, seminar, workshop and training

Thus, we have been working in Bangladesh to transform one of the noble crops; SOYBEAN into the mighty food for the people of

BANGLADESH

THANKS TO ALL