Staff Reporter
Karachi
Almost 37 percent of our population is food insecure despite the fact that Pakistan is self-sufficient in major staples at present and the main problem is access and affordability to food, this was stated by Shaikh Sultan Rehman Vice President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) in an interactive seminar on Food Security in Pakistan held at Federation House Karachi, Regional Office Lahore and Capital Office Islamabad via zoom video link.
While welcoming the participants, Shaikh Sultan Rehman Vice President FPCCI emphasized on the food security in Pakistan which has high linkage with human capital and strong economic implications. While highlighting the facts and figure of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, he added that high rate of malnutrition can cost to an economy around 3-4 percent of GDP which mainly affects our young generation mainly due to rising of death rate, malnutrition, low future productivity.
Moreover, rising of population and climate changes are other challenges which may risk food security in future. He informed that globally Pakistan ranked 8th in production of wheat, tenth in rice, 5th in sugarcane and 4th in milk production, despite this Pakistan faces occasionally shortage of these products which affects their prices.
He added that hoarding and smuggling are other issues also create food shortage in Pakistan. He underscored the need for implementation of National Food Security Policy announced in 2018.
