ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday asserted that a global paradigm shift was needed to rise above mutual conflicts and instead save mankind by addressing the challenges of hunger and food security.
Addressing a launching ceremony in Islamabad, the President said amid the problems of growing population and climate change, the world needed to “rethink and lessen its footprint on global resources”.
The event held in connection with the World Food Day themed ‘Our actions, our future’ here at the COMSTECH gathered ambassadors of nine Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, scientists and agriculturists.
President Alvi said besides defence and security, the phenomenon of food security had become increasingly significant. “How can the nations spend billions of dollars on wars amid the looming threat of hunger,” he said, adding that a sustainable food system and water conservation were important in this regard.
He further said the growing population of Pakistan was facing the problems of malnutrition with its related complications including neonatal deaths, compromised health of women due to multiple pregnancies and stunted growth of children.
For effective water management to ensure food security, he suggested practical steps by Pakistan and other countries such as reaching out to aquifers and incentivizing farmers to save water.
Dr Alvi mentioned that he had asked the food ministry to work on satellite imagery to better understand the crop mapping and increase yield. “Adapting the seaweed farming, crop substitution and hydroponic farming can prove useful and profitable agricultural solutions”, he said.
He urged the COMSTECH to promote hybrid cooperation among all Islamic countries and exchange technology to find solutions to the challenge of food security.
