Prime Minister Imran Khan has termed food security as one of the biggest challenges being faced by Pakistan, saying the country must take steps now to protect its population in the future from food shortages.
Addressing a farmers’ convention in Islamabad, the premier noted that around 40 percent children in the country did not reach their full height nor did their brain develop fully because they did not receive enough nutrition.
Although food is readily available in Pakistan, the country’s overall food security is poor. High levels of poverty and high food prices have given Pakistan some of the highest rates of malnutrition, undernourishment and childhood stunting in the world.
Despite massive food production, the latest National Nutrition Survey revealed that 36.9 percent of the population in Pakistan is food insecure. Furthermore, two-fifth of Pakistanis – a population as large as Germany – live in multidimensional poverty.
The Sindh province is one of the most food-deprived provinces and bears the highest burden of malnourished children. These striking figures show the extent to which food insecurity must be considered as a matter of urgent importance and tackled accordingly.
The dismal situation
The dismal situation in which the country’s poor are living now should be an immediate cause of concern for the government. Providing free food to the needy at some outlets may be a relief for a few people, but this is not the solution to long-standing food insecurity.
Essentially, a reduced number of jobs and insufficient livelihood opportunities are the primary causes of this inability of people to buy food for their families. As incomes have reduced, there is even more need for policies that cater to the requirements of people rather than finding ways to meet IMF conditions.
Key Pressures on Food Security
Food availability is not the main food security issue in Pakistan. Instead, the issue stems from poor access to food, which has meant that increased food production has not translated into better food security. According to the WFP, affordability is ‘the greatest barrier to achieving a nutritious diet’; it estimates that most Pakistanis are unable to afford a nutritionally adequate diet.
Although per capita income has increased in the last decade, this growth has been outstripped by rising food prices. Daily wages have increased, but purchasing power has declined.
Food accessibility is also highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks and Pakistan’s food security has declined since the 2000s, due to a succession of environmental disasters, conflicts and economic crises.
Policy and the Future of Pakistani Food Security
The food security situation in Pakistan is precarious and the Pakistani Government has been taking steps to try to address the issue. In 2018, the country’s first food security policy was unveiled.
The policy aims to alleviate poverty, eradicate hunger and promote sustainable food production. Those aims would be achieved through close co-operation between federal and provincial governments.
Until Pakistan is able to spend freely on the poor and on food security, it is likely that the ongoing pressures on food security will continue to multiply, which will inevitably put pressure on the most vulnerable members of its society.
