On World Food Day, Pakistanis remain ‘food insecure’

Experts launch report in Hyderabad on state of food insecurity

KARACHI: Senator Taj Haider has said that the government intends to reduce the price of grains by providing transportation cost.

He was speaking at the World Food Day, 2018 ceremony organised by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in Hyderabad.



He pointed out how water use should be standardised and how it could be used for land improvement and increasing production. He emphasised that small farmers should be supported with a focus on women peasants. He shared that the government intends to reduce the price of grains by providing for transportation cost. The Benazir Kisan Card will help reduce cost-share, he said.

According to Haider, the government also plans to open and clean the natural waterways to help revive the delta and stop sea intrusion.

Speaking on the occasion, FAO Policy Consultant Genevieve Hussain pinpointed that alarming signs of increasing food insecurity and high levels of different forms of malnutrition around the world are a reminder that we need to expedite our efforts. She said food security is a global challenge.

On the occasion, a report, ‘Food Security and Nutrition in the World’, was launched in the presence of academia and civil society representatives. The report was a joint effort of FAO, World Health Organisation, International Fund for Agricultural Development and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef).

Masood Lohar of Global Environmental Finance-United Nations Development Programme said Pakistan is lagging behind in achieving the set targets.

Giving an example of the Phuleli Canal, he said this long canal is being polluted by waste. He said that the Indus River needs the required water [pressure] to carry silt.



Syed Khadim Hussain Shah of the World Food Programme explained that ending hunger means availability of nutrient-rich food to people, especially mothers and those who are pregnant. He said there is an availability of food in Pakistan, but the question of access to nutrient-rich food was an important factor to consider. Unicef representative Dr Mazhar Iqbal said that indicators regarding children’s growth were alarming. He suggested that the government, agriculture universities and UN organisations had a vital role to play in formulating plans to address the issue of food security and its distribution.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2018.