KARACHI:
In Pakistan, approximately 36 million tonnes of food are wasted annually. This involves food loss during production, post-harvest handling, distribution, and consumption. Alongside the waste, Pakistan suffers from a shocking level of hunger. Nearly 60% of the population faces food insecurity and 15% of children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition. Most children under the age of 2 consume very few energy requirements.
Agricultural cultivation involves the use of fertilisers, pesticides, and other resources that go to waste along with food. Given the ever-increasing population and exhaustion of our natural resources, there is a risk of violent civil conflict caused by food insecurity.
Growing more food will not resolve the problem as sustainable access will remain unequal because most people cannot afford to buy food and have unequal access. Relevant government departments should work with non-governmental organisations to collect the wasted food and distribute it among the needy. Also, people should be prohibited from having more than two meals at weddings to reduce wastage.
Swaira Khalid
Arifwala
Published in The Express Tribune, April 14th, 2022.
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