Looming food insecurity poses threat in South Asia including Pakistan

Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s United Business Group (UBG) Chairman Shahzad Ali Malik Saturday said that the looming food insecurity hovering in and around the region has posed an impending threat to all under developed countries especially South Asia including Pakistan.

Speaking at a penal discussion on “Ramification of food Insecurity in Pakistan”; held here under the aegis of the UBG, Shahzad Ali Malik, Sitar-I-Imtiaz former President Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry quoting the world food programme, said recently Pakistan’s double digit food price inflation, along with dwindling income, has left more Pakistanis food insecure.

He said a sizeable number of Pakistanis are food insecure of which 18 percent confronted with acute food insecurity. He said 20 percent of population in Pakistan is undernourished and 44 percent children under five year are stunted.

He said in recent years, Pakistan has produced more food that its population consumes and has been a major producer of wheat and rice.

However, the poor segment of the society and most vulnerable people in country can not afford a sufficient and nutritious diet despite the overall growth in food production.

Shahzad Ali Malik said primarily this is due to limited economic access to the poorest especially women lacking an adequate and diverse diet.