Impact of Overseas Migration on Food Insecurity of the Left-behind Community of Migration-Prone Regions of Bangladesh

Migration is one of the most ancient strategies people have adopted to ensure food security. It may also cause food insecurity by affecting availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability of food negatively. There is, however, a lack of comprehensive studies on the direct role of migration and remittances in food insecurity in the migrant-sending regions of Bangladesh. Therefore, this article brings the ‘underdevelopment perspective’ of overseas migration into the study of food security by commissioning qualitative research in the country’s most migration-prone Cumilla district. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions with multiple stakeholders. Employing a thematic analysis, our results confirm that the migration-prone regions of Bangladesh have been experiencing a depletion of the male labor force because of the predominant nature of male overseas migration from those regions. Because of shortages of labor, thereby increased wages and construction of new houses on agricultural land by many migrants, a considerable amount of such land remains fallow and decreases each year, respectively, which in turn decreases the availability of food by hampering physical production. Again, remittances contribute to unequal access to food by creating disparities in purchasing power capacity between migrant and non-migrant households. Because of their consumerist behavior, migrant households exert pressure on non-migrant households, which is responsible for decreasing non-migrant households’ economic access to food through price upsurges. Migration through remittances favors the adoption of bad food consumption habits and brings about poorer diet habits. Most of the migrant households, who once produced their food, are not involved in farming anymore. Therefore, household farm production and availability of food decline, which creates instability of food. Awareness build-up programs regarding unplanned migration and unproductive use of remittances and formulation of land use and housing policies are essential to combat food insecurity.