In the past few years, Pakistan has attained the status of a food surplus country owing to its good agricultural policies which helped the country to become a major producer of wheat in the region. As an agrarian land, the agricultural sector of Pakistan contributed 24% to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), making it a central player in our economy. Besides that, the importance of this sector can be gauged from the fact that it’s the largest source of foreign exchange earnings and is responsible for feeding the entire rural and urban population.
However, the harrowing statistics of the National Nutrition Survey conducted in 2018 revealed that 36.9% of the population was facing food insecurity, owing to multiple economic, natural, and political factors that are causing the food crisis in Pakistan.
Factors responsible for the looming food crisis are unpredictable and abnormal changes in the climate that have resulted in catastrophise which destroyed hectares of cropland across the country. In absence of the government’s interest and distorted political landscape have failed to address farmers’ concerns.
Pakistan has a constitutional commitment by Article 38(d) that mandates the government to provide necessities of life including food to all citizens. Moreover, another commitment of the state to ensure food availability, accessibility and a sustainable food production system is envisioned in Pakistan’s National Food Security Policy, 2018. In presence of legislative work and national policies, the government is still not paying heed to the agricultural sector.
There are numerous factors that are responsible for the looming food crisis. Although Pakistan is one of the world’s smallest contributors to carbon emissions causing global warming, the country has been hit hard by flash floods in the last few years, causing a loss of $13 million. This translates to unprecedented damage suffered by agricultural land, livestock, and infrastructure of all types.
The unprecedented rise in global fuel prices is also one of the reasons why third world countries such as ours has to bear the brunt of high food prices which makes it inaccessible for the poor. The country is always facing a shortage of fertilisers, either due to a lack of government foresight about demand and supply chain or due to the hoarders who accumulate millions of tons of fertiliser to earn unjustified profits. The absence of government intervention and an unregulated crop market leave room for vendors to set their prices.
Another factor is the non-availability of water. In the absence of a cemented canal system, most of the water seeps into the grounds. Besides that, silt in reservoirs and a shortage of new dams have reduced the country’s water storage capacity. As water is the most critical natural component used to nourish cropland for a greater yield, its non-availability in the summer means that fewer crops would be available for an ever-increasing population.
The rise in demand and low production of crops means that there are high chances of disruption in demand and supply chain. This is not only caused by water scarcity but the recent war that has begun between Russia and Ukraine spiked crop prices, especially of wheat. Nearly 90% of Pakistan’s population relies on wheat as its staple food, however, due to sanctions imposed on Russia, Pakistan has to rely on other countries to meet its demands.
An uncontrolled population is another challenge faced by Pakistan. The country is unable to cater to an increasing population, owing to its scarce resources and limited production. The cost of food in Pakistan increased 31.70 percent in September of 2022 over the same month in the previous year. The rise in the cost of food production is directly proportional to low affordability, which means that the poor would have limited access to quality food for healthy and active lifestyles.
For Pakistan to avert a food crisis, it should closely follow and implement the policy enshrined in the NFSP that mandates the government to improve food availability by bridging yield gaps, supporting kitchen gardening, and clamping down on conventional farming practices. It also aims to equip farmers with agricultural inputs such as quality seeds to increase food production, and pesticides and provide agricultural loans in easy instalments to support Pakistan’s agricultural activities.
For improving the quality and quantity of crops, our farmers should be trained on international lines, so they may learn about innovative farming techniques and get rid of conventional farming. This practice will ensure stable and adequate food production and help farmers maximise profits by exporting the surplus to foreign countries.
By taking these practical steps, the government can ensure sustainability in our agriculture which means more employment, a strong economy and a surplus for our population.