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IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY IN PAKISTAN

Munawar HussainProgram Manager Punjab & AJK

The Micronutrient Initiative

FOOD SECURITY

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“When all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food and to meet their dietary needs and food preferences

for an active and healthy life”.Source: according to World Food Summit

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FOOD SECURITY

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• The main determinant of Food Security is Malnutrition• Low income families are more prone to Food Insecurity

(Nutrition Policy Guidance notes, 2013)

• Food Insecurity principally connected to o Low production due to famine/natural disaster (eg.

Flood)Although, Famine instigate hunger and food insecurity, but famine is atypical concern

o Low socio-economic statuso Increasing prices of food

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Few Among Several Consequences of Food Insecurity

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Induce considerable economic cost

Reduced lifetime productivity

Expanding/ Elevating poverty

Slow economic development

Resource deprivation

Food Insecurity and hunger are social & moral problems that embarrass to our global society

Malnutrition Reduces Productivity!!!!

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Overall loss to the economy of 2.7 to 4.1% of GDP annuallySource: “Economic Costs of Malnutrition” DFID

Reduced Productivity Pathway

Cost inefficiencies: (e.g. illness, deaths)

Direct links: Decreased physical productivity

Indirect links: Impaired cognitive development, schooling and productivity

Nutritional Food Insecurity Status

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Indicator NNS 2001-02

NNS 2011

1. Wasting % (Low Weight for Height) 12% 15%

2. Stunting% (Low Height for Age) 31% 44%

3. Under Weight% (Low Weight for Age) 42% 32%

4. Anemia (Children) 51% 63%

5. Anemia (Pregnant women) 29% 51%

6. Iodine Deficiency (Children) 63% 36%

7. Iodine Deficiency (Women) 76% 36%

8. Vitamin A Def (Children) 13% 54%

9. Vitamin A Def (Non-pregnant women) 6% 42%

Nutrition Throughout Life Cycle

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Factors Prompting Food Insecurity

1Incompetent Supply Chain (Farm to Fork)

2↑ food demand due to ↑ population

3↑ food demand due to life style modification (↑ food loss)

4Temporary climate changes

5Price instabilities

6Unsafe food and less human resource capacity

7Inadequate production (not utilizing all resources)

Food Insecurity

Factors Inducing

Copenhagen Consensus & Food Security

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The Doha development agenda – Trade

Micronutrient fortification (iron and iodine) – Malnutrition

Expanded immunization coverage for children – Diseases

Agricultural R&D on micronutrients – Malnutrition

Deworming and nutrition programs at school – Malnutrition

Lowering the price of schooling – Education

Increase and improve girls’ schooling – Women

Micronutrient supplements (vitamin A & zinc) – Malnutrition

Community-based nutrition promotion – Malnutrition

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Article 38 (d) ensures provision of basic necessities of life including food.

“The State shall provide basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, education and medical relief, for all

citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, as are permanently or temporarily unable to earn their livelihood

on account of infirmity, sickness or unemployment”

Food Security: Constitution of Pakistan

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Future Challenges to reduce Food Insecurity

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↑ food production to feed a growing population

↑ food production to modest surpluses for export

↑ crop productivity using lesser land & water resources

Ensure a rapid growth of national income

Attain macro-economic & Micro-economic stability

Effective employment of growing labor force

Securing improvement in distributive justice

Reduction in rural poverty

Both supply-side and demand-side issues need to be addressed to ease food insecurity

Future Challenges to reduce Food Insecurity

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“Food security is possible well into the future. Science provides the tools, agricultural research the modality,

intellectual insight the design of the next revolutions that will help smallholder farmers improve their square yard of

earth, and help the world to keep pace with population growth”

(Austin, nd)

Multi-sectoral Approach in addressing Food Insecurity

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Food Security

Policy Options: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

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Safe Environment through total sanitation and hygiene promotion

Solid waste management

Applying “Pakistan Total Sanitation Policy”

Equitable access to water provisions

Public awareness programs on nutrition by HUD & PHED, Health, Education

Policy Options: Agriculture

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Increase productivity by shifting from traditional to value added agriculture Fortification of grain crops

Subsidies on micronutrient rich plant varieties to attract farmers

Address geographic disparities

Breeding programs for cereals

Enhancement of Fertilizer use efficacy

Targeted Subsidies for poor farmers

Promotion of International Standards and Accreditations

Policy Options: Food

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Reduction of Post harvest loses

Targeted subsidies on food to poor and food insecure population

Mandatory fortification of wheat flour with iron and folic acid and its enforcement.

Establish specialized Food Authorities as in Punjab

Policy Options- Education

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Nutrition and life skills counseling and weekly iron tablets for all adolescent girls (in and out of school)

Ethnic specific orientation and training of school teachers on nutrition

Provision of healthy nutritious food in school canteens

Include nutrition, health, hygiene education modules in schools

Annual Nutrition days in schools

Suggestions…!!!

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