The Prime Minister of Pakistan recently made an optimistic statement that by 2047 Pakistan will be among the top ten economies in the world while referring to his government’s Vision 2025. Keeping in view the ground realities it seems quite a challenging task as the country is going through testing times for the last two decades. One of the most important challenges is that of food security. Thousands of people fall prey to different diseases due to hunger, malnutrition and consumption of low quality cheap food every year.
The situation is worst in some areas like the drought stricken Tharparkar district in Sindh province where hundreds of children die annually due to malnutrition. Every year, we see a buzz in media, politicians and social workers visit these areas expressing their concern and grief but unfortunately nobody has devised a sustainable plan to overcome this situation and the whole story is repeated every year. If the Prime Minister wants to make Pakistan one of the top economies in the world then at least his government needs to make sure the availability of food for everyone.
Pakistan is ranked 77th out of 109 countries at the global food security index. Almost half of the country’s population remains food insecure and about 15 percent of the population suffer acute malnutrition. Over 10 million children under the age of five face irreversibly limited physical and mental abilities due to malnutrition.
This is despite of the fact that Pakistan is regarded as an agricultural country. Agriculture is considered, or used to be, as the backbone of the economy. Every year the economic survey of Pakistan shows an increase in the agricultural production. Then where is the problem. Why half of the country’s population is not able to get sufficient food?
The most important reason behind food insecurity is the high population growth rate. Agriculture production is not increasing at the same rate as that of population growth rate. Despite the government and non-government organizations’ efforts over the last 2 decades, the population growth rate is still higher than most of the other countries. Demand for the residential places rises with the rise in the population, which results in the conversion of agriculture lands into residential colonies.
Although the agriculture farming has been revolutionized due to modern technology which has resulted in increased production but due to shrinkage of agricultural lands the increased production seems far from enough for the entire population. Still the quantity of available food is still not very low as compared to its requirement. But even then more than half of the population does not get enough food. Here we are faced with the problem of lack of access to the food.
Accessibility to the available food has always been a challenge in developing countries. Once a secure food supply to an area has been established, the financial situation of individuals and families become the controlling factor for distribution. The wealthy will always have the best access; and while they may make food choices that are detrimental to their health, these choices are not financially motivated like eating at fast food points instead of home cooked meals.
Locations of stores and markets in a community must be planned to increase access for people with limited transportation options. As income levels decrease, so does the quality and selection of food. In some countries there are programs to provide food to people with no income, often run by governments and charity organizations. But unfortunately we don’t have such programs so when there is no money the people goes hungry.
Food wastage is another reason behind food insecurity. A recent study found that twenty three percent of the world’s population is consuming eighty three percent of the resources. It has been estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that one third of all food produced is wasted. With a larger effort in redistributing the food that is undesirable to the more affluent members of society to the less financially secure members, it is possible to make food accessibility a reality for every person regardless of their personal finances.
People must be given the knowledge to make informed decisions about how they manage their daily food. With a global increase in food production and local gardening, it is possible to increase quality food accessibility for everyone.
In all areas of food insecurity, the solution depends on governments, the corporations they regulate and individuals in a community. Government regulates industrial food production, how much can be imported and exported, taxes added to food cost and how food is distributed in emergency situations. Federal government must find ways to communicate with provincial governments to bring some consistency to policies that have a national effect instead of focusing on only the provincial food supplies so that Tharparkar like tragedies can be avoided in the future. Education is the most versatile way to provide food security. It is possible for the government to include basic food skills in every public education curricula.
It is crucial to educate people about basic food skills like how to grow, find and cook nutritious foods with the available resources. Most well-off people buy all of their food from a store. They do not grow food for themselves, despite having the resources available to them. Developing programs in communities to teach how to grow food may bring people together for the social benefit of all. Stocked with food from private gardens in neighborhoods, fresh produce markets can become more common. The cost of community education can be kept low with online programs and classes.
People can take control of some of their food supply by growing some food, like tomatoes or any other vegetables. If an individual grows more than he or she needs, they can trade with another grower, sell the surplus, or save it for future use when taught proper food preservation techniques. Many options are available, but these are ineffective unless individuals have a personal desire to improve their own lives with better food.
Natural calamities, modern industrialization, and increasing population will continue to be challenges to providing food security as a basic right for every person. There is enough food available in this country dietary need, but there are still millions of undernourished people primarily because of mismanagement. Government must be pressured by the people to make food security as high a priority as any war.
Knowledge of basic nutrition, food skills, and sustainable farming practices must be shared to ensure that every person can make informed decisions about the food they buy and have more control of their own food sources .We cannot control the personal choices that other people make and even with the best resources there will be occasional personal food insecurity. Despite all the challenges we face, we can create and maintain a food secure country with education, political pressure and personal action.