The epilogue of my article is
informing others about health essentials, their basic necessities and main
purpose of securing and maintaining health. What is it? Causes of food
insecurity and how to treat it. I want to improve level of food security in our
country that’s why I am sharing main causes and their solutions so that people
read it and follow it. As an agriculturist it is my obligation to inform others
about food security because Agriculture is backbone of many nations.
In present era, we are left with a little amount of food for both men and
animals, there is not even getting (a root) for men to eat, since the sun has
destroyed it. Demand of time is that humans want to eat each other in order to
satisfy their appetite. The whole population knows that economy of our country
is deteriorating day by day. Just like the bacteria contaminates milk, same is
the case with our country.
The World Health Organization defines three basics of food security:
1. Food Availability 2. Food Access 3. Food Utilization
Food availability is basically the availability of sufficient quantities of food
on a consistent basis. Food access depicts having sufficient resources to obtain
appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. Food utilization is the appropriate use
based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care. The FAO adds a fourth facet: the
stability of the first three dimensions of food security over time.
Status of Food security is deteriorating since 2003 according to facts and
figures. 61% of districts of Pakistan are facing the problem of in adequacy of
food security. Almost half of the population of Pakistan (48.6 percent) doesn’t
have access to sufficient food for active and healthy life at all times.
Food Security Status in Pakistan contains the demerits of Unavailability of
Food, Instability of Food Supplies, and Low Access to Food, Incidence of Food
Poverty, Income Inequality, and Inequity of Food Distribution.
The report comes up with substantial evidence that inter and intra provincial
disparities exist in terms of food security. The most insecure population is of
FATA (67.7 percent) followed by Balochistan (61.2 percent), and Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) (56.2 percent). The lowest percentage of food insecure
population (23.6 percent) is in Islamabad. Dera Bugti in Balochistan has the
highest percentage of food insecure people (82.4 percent) among the districts.
Islamabad Capital Territory is the most food secure district of Pakistan.
Now Food security has become a great debatable issue with some arguing that:
• Food is enough in the world, the problem is distribution.
• Current production level can- or cannot-fulfill the future food needs.
• National food security is paramount - or no longer necessary because of global
trade.
• Globalization may - or may not - lead to the persistence of food insecurity
and poverty in rural communities.
In 2006 it was reported that globally, the world had more than one billion
people who were overweight and an estimated 800 million who were undernourished.
Worldwide up to 2 billion people lack food security intermittently due to
varying degrees of poverty. Moreover, there are 6 million children who die of
hunger every year.
Things affecting food security today includes Water crises, Climate change, Land
degradation, Greedy land degradation, High population rate, Food prices, High
fertilizer rates, Disasters, Lack of electricity, Gendered aspects of food
insecurity, Household’s production, Strengthen governance, Address the
information shortage and Lack of innovation. Rise in global temperatures are
beginning to have a ripple effect on crop yields, forest resources, and water
supplies and altering the balance of nature.
Corporations and Governments are buying millions of acres of agricultural land
in developing countries to secure their own long-term food supplies.
Population explosion is also creating a threat of hunger and food shortage in
near future. Especially in Pakistan it is increasing day by day leaving the
production level declining.
One of the reasons for food insecurity is high prices of food. Average and poor
people cannot fulfill their need of food. Food prices increases due to increase
in price of fuels.
Other reason for food insecurity is flood, earthquakes, water shortage due to
lack of rainfall, drought etc. Energy crises also have severe effects on it in
Pakistan.
Women of Pakistan are less educated and do not have well awareness about their
needs of nutrition. Moreover, men use to prefer their boys instead of girls as
they are considered as source of income for them. So they favor sons instead of
daughters in their educational and nutritional aspects. On same hand, women play
a significant role in the agriculture sector. So, improved women’s status is a
prerequisite for better food security in Pakistan.
There are some other causes also which are Global wheat crises, Inefficient and
ineffective use of irrigation water, Use of low quality seeds and Credit and
financial problems.
This is not the end. The worst things are poor governance and corruption which
is injecting a rebellious spirit in the poor nation of Pakistan. This is making
the law and order situation of the country worse day by day.
Agriculture is the base of Pakistan’s economy, contributing 21% of the country’s
GDP and employing 45% of the labor force. It means it needs a strong attention
of the authorities to develop it and make it to keep pace with the modern world
needs.
There are some suggestions to improve food security and reduce chances of food
insecurity.
We should focus on Local foods as they are convenient, simple and powerful tools
to achieve food security, reliably healthy and beneficial to the country which
increased access and affordability of fruits and vegetables. Identify barriers
to food production and find out their remedies to overcome this evils.Land usage
should be done properly. Spare fields should be utilized as a lot of area of
Pakistan can be a productive which is still not touched by the agriculturists.
Agriculture sector must be provided proper power resources as energy crises
damaged it a lot. Expand food education. Educate the women particularly
considering their role in the Agriculture Make water reservoirs to save water
from wastage and to utilize them for future use..
Consumer and farmer friendly policies should be there. National Food Security
Strategy (NFSS) should be chalked out to address the issues of food insecurity
in Pakistan. Irrigation department should be improved so that it has direct
effect on productivity level. Researches must contribute by innovating new
varieties of crop seeds which should have capacity to tolerate the new changing
climate (global warming is making the planet hotter) and to produce more with
less input. Government should introduce revolving funds for food deficit
provinces in order to reduce regional disparity among provinces. Good governance
is essential to ensure that food is accessible to the people. It is strongly
suggested that assuring food security should be adapted as a peace building
strategy.
Considering all conditions, vision without action is daydream and action without
vision is time wastage. The government of Pakistan must deal with this issue
warmly. Unless this basic need “food” is left unmet, the people cannot divert
their energies and loyalties towards the country. People uncertain of how and
where their next meal will come from can never be patriotic. It is the need of
hour that the government of Pakistan and its international partners step up
activities that not only strengthen livelihood, assets and activities but also
address domestic governance issue.