Food security in Pakistan/ op-ed/ 24-june-2024
Introduction
Due to the unique geostrategic environment, Pakistan’s recently issued National Security Policy places a strong emphasis on guaranteeing non-traditional aspects of security, sometimes known as “human security,” in addition to placing enough attention on traditional security. Personal, community, political, food, health, economic, and environmental security are all crucial components of human security. Food security in Pakistan is arguably the most crucial component of the non-traditional dimension of national security, even though all of the components are vital to the welfare of the populace, without it, people will be more susceptible to being exploited by those who engage in hybrid warfare.
The entire and anticipated population, the availability of water, a suitable climate, arable land, the use of cutting-edge technologies, and the availability of power supplies are all crucial components of food security. The policy domain necessitates farm-to-market highways, necessary storage facilities, value-added emphasis, control of the entire process, sufficient research and development activities, and education, awareness, and incentives for farmers.
According to the World Food Summit, a country’s level of food security is determined by three factors: food availability, which is defined as having a sufficient amount of food available on a regular basis; food absorption, which is defined as using food appropriately based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care; and food access, which denotes having adequate resources both physically and economically to obtain a good amount of food for the proper nutrition.
Pakistan, the fifth-largest state in the world, has a civilization that is primarily agribusiness-based, but regrettably, access to a sufficient supply of food is inadequate and inconsistent. Pakistan is the most susceptible of the emerging nations since it has the lowest level of food security. While there has been a gradual decline in Pakistan’s hunger index, the country has not made nearly as much progress as other developing nations. Based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), the 2018 National Nutrition Survey revealed that 36.9% of families lacked access to adequate food sources.
Food security in Pakistan is threatened by numerous concerns, each of which can take many different forms. When it comes to food security, inadequate financial resources and policies are just one part of the issue. Catastrophic weather patterns and an increasingly unpredictable geopolitical environment are additional contributing causes. A direct challenge to Pakistan’s ability to secure its own food supply is climate change. The main source of water for the nation, the Himalayan glaciers, have lost more mass since 2000 than they did for the course of the 20th century. Most of the water in the nation comes from these glaciers.
One may argue that ensuring people have access to nutritious food is a necessary part of sustainable resource management, but this isn’t happening frequently enough. The recent seasonal rains in Pakistan caused significant destruction due to ill-preparedness, with Sindh and Baluchistan regions suffering the worst. They failed to plan for the loss of lives and crops brought on by severe flooding. Because of a lack of government planning, coordination, and management, disaster responses have grown more difficult. Pakistan produces more wheat, rice, and other grains than it needs, but because of ineffective management and a lack of control, food insecurity is increasing in the nation. Regretfully, the government’s dietary guidelines have not kept pace with the need to guarantee adequate food for everybody.
Statistics
Pakistan gets 39% of its wheat from Ukraine, the fifth-largest producer of wheat in the world, so the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had an impact on the country’s food supply. In order to ensure Food security in Pakistan, about 30.8 million metric tons of wheat per year is needed since it is the main source of dietary fiber and helps ensure food security for the country. The season’s target of 28.9 million tons was not reached, although being nearly there, because of heat waves in the middle of March and growing fertilizer prices. The world wheat market is highly unpredictable; thus, imports are needed to keep up with the increasing demand brought on by the scarcity. In a state where 40% of the populace regularly experiences food insecurity, this is a significant issue. The Russian blockade of the Black Sea has affected international supply chains and Ukrainian wheat exports. The cost of wheat flour has increased by over 60% on the global market since the crisis began. Even if exports have resumed after being halted for months, and the chance of a worldwide food crisis has diminished, Pakistan’s food security remains vulnerable.
Conclusion
Pakistan is currently dealing with a crisis of food insecurity, which needs to be resolved as soon as it is practically practicable. Investable problems are those that have a monetary solution. The poor are the ones who are most affected by this problem since they cannot afford even the most basic of dietary requirements. Extreme social unrest and societal stressors, including starvation, malnourishment, and an increase in crime, have been brought about by this terrible situation. Demonstrations have also caused disruptions and other related issues. The unstable political, social, and economic environments that have arisen in the state are to blame for the widespread hunger that exists there.
The government must act swiftly in order to start taking precautionary action to ensure food security in Pakistan. There exists a considerable and inversely proportionate association between a rise in social unrest and a decline in food security. This means that there may be a spike in social unrest in the event of a sudden, dramatic, and large increase in the number of individuals without access to food. Due to the acute shortage of food that is now available and the sharp increase in food prices, Pakistan faces an immediate risk of social instability.
As a direct result, there has been a general increase in violent crime, suicide attempts, and the number of terrorist strikes. There will therefore probably be a constant and unchanging situation if food costs remain high for a prolonged length of time.
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