Combatting hunger: 61 million Pakistanis are food insecure

ISLAMABAD:

The patron of Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders, Shahid Rasheed Butt, has called upon the government to improve the food security situation which is linked to stability.

Pakistan must improve its deteriorating ranking in food security index as almost half of the country’s population remains food insecure, he said. He added that every individual has a right to physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food on a consistent basis that fulfills dietary needs.

Affordability, availability and quality of the food in Pakistan needs serious review as hunger is rising despite an increase in agriculture output which indicates lack of serious efforts on the part of the government. He said that countries like India, Sri Lanka, Angola, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nicaragua, Niger, Vietnam, and India have performed better than Pakistan.

The government should think seriously about providing cover to over 61 million food insecure people which is a major national issue as rising food prices, floods, poverty, conflict, terrorism, energy crisis, economic slowdown and political instability are some factors behind hunger.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2015.