The Nutrition in City Ecosystems (NICE) project has launched a social marketing campaign to promote production as well as consumption of safe, nutritious, and agroecologically produced foods in Dinajpur and Rangpur. This campaign was implemented by the NICE project in both cities as part of its demand creation strategy. The campaign aims to raise awareness about nutrition among city residents, with a particular focus on students and parents who play a crucial role in driving change. The goal is to create “Nutrition Vital Cities” where healthy eating habits are promoted.
Two rallies were organized in Dinajpur and Rangpur cities, with 10 school students from each city participating. The rally in Rangpur commenced from Rangpur High School, while the one in Dinajpur started from Dinajpur Municipality. In Rangpur, more than 400 participants, including 217 students and 186 community members, attended the rally. Similarly, in Dinajpur, over 300 people, including 188 students and 123 community members, participated, with women making up 43% of the participants. Prior to the rallies, the campaign outreach included using loudspeakers to spread awareness about “ShuKrishi” (where ‘Shu’ means ‘good’ and ‘Krishi’ means ‘Agriculture’) and its significance. The campaign jingle was played, featuring the lyrics, “Farmers are the persons who produce food for us. We respect them and they bring food to our plates, hence we need to know ShuKrishi or Good farming practices in order to have nutritious food.”
The tagline of the NICE social marketing campaign is, “ShuuKhaddey gori Shuusasther agami.” which means “Building a good nation with good food.” During the rallies, students were educated about safe food production. Md. Lokman Hossain, the Chief Guest and Food Safety Officer of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), emphasized the importance of consuming nutrient-dense food and reducing reliance on pharmaceuticals. He highlighted the benefits of consuming fresh carrots to address vitamin A deficiency instead of solely relying on medicine.
