Seminar: ‘There is enough food to go around, all it needs is astute planning’

Global production is enough to feed the entire world population; the only thing required is to share it astutely, HELP

Experts at a seminar on World Food Day said that food shortage is not inevitable -- global production is enough to feed the entire world population. The only thing required is to share it astutely, said a press release issued by the Human Rights, Environment and Landscape Protection Forum (HELP Forum).

The speakers said the food shortage was the result of several intertwined factors, including climate changes, which was one of the major causes of low crop yield. “Climate change is increasingly viewed as a current and future cause of hunger and poverty,” said an expert.

Increasing droughts, floods, and changing climatic patterns require a shift in crops and farming practices that are not easy to accomplish without deep research.

HELP Forum President T M Jan quoting a survey by Food and Agriculture Organization said in developing countries, one in every three children suffers from malnutrition. In many cases, their plight begins even before their birth with a malnourished mother. “More than 70% of malnourished children live in Asia, 26% in Africa and 4% in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he said.

He further said 10% infants are born with a low birth weight which in addition to being a risk factor for neonatal deaths also causes learning disabilities, mental, retardation, poor health, blindness and premature death.

“The poor management of social issues leads to food shortage in poor countries like Pakistan and there is a need to mobilise and utilise all available resources in an efficient manner so that the food shortage in the country can be overcome,” Jan said.

Nisar Chaudhry said food shortages are an inevitable consequence of economic vulnerability and social exclusion, which generate poverty. He said poverty is marked by the inability to satisfy basic family needs.

Renowned Agricultural Scientist Dr Syed Zahid Hussain Shah, HELP Forum organiser Sanaullah Akhtar, General Secretary Irshadul Haq, Dr Hafiz Mohammad Matieullah, Dr Nasir Mazhar Malik were present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2011.