Time for Action!

We all are apprehensive about the food situation in the country over the coming years. Talking about the chronic hunger and unrest it can spark, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called for quick action to ensure global food security. The irony we all understand is that there is more than enough food in the world, yet today more than one billion people are hungry. In Pakistan, compounded problems of food production, distribution and falling purchasing power are already evident.

Despite efforts such as the raising of the wheat support price, the Benazir Income Support Programme and attempts to stabilize fluctuations in food prices, the fact remains that the number of people confronted with the spectre of starvation is continuing to grow. This situation is unlikely to change, given the projected impact of a growing population – estimated to reach about 300 million in 15 to 20 years, plus the effects of climate change and the water-stress the country is threatened with.

There is an urgent need to increase food production while making it profitable for farmers to grow food crops. The issue of distribution, accessibility and the negative influence of cartels must also be addressed. After all, the country faced a flour crisis this year despite having harvested a bumper wheat crop!

It is time for action now, the looming food crisis is lurking and will crop up if not taken care of immediately.

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