LAHORE: The Punjab Food Authority (PFA) celebrated World Food Day 2024 by organizing a seminar on Wednesday titled “Prevent food wastage from farm to fork” with provincial minister Bilal Yasin in the chair.
The event was attended by Minister for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Imran Nazir, Punjab, DG Civil Service Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Punjab Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Raja Jahangir Anwar, PFA Director General Muhammad Asim Javaid, World Food Programme Dr Ammara, senior journalist Mohsin Bhatti, Barrister Amrat Ahmed, Dr Ghazala, additional director generals, directors, nutrition experts and people from different walks of life.
Minister Bilal Yasin also inaugurated the healthy nutrition food stalls to encourage visitors to make healthier food choices. This year’s theme of World Food Day was the “Right to food for a better life and a better future”.
Addressing the participants, Bilal Yasin said the public made fun of the Punjab Food Authority in its initial stages, but today, the authority has made its mark by delivering quality work to better the food industry in Punjab.
He said the event’s purpose was to raise awareness about global hunger, food security, food waste, food production, distribution, and consumption and promote sustainable food systems. He said the significance of World Food Day lies in its call to action for individuals, communities, and governments to work together to ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food.
He further said that on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the inspections and fines were increased, which improved the quality of food. Moreover, he said positive differences are seen in oil, poultry, milk and staple foods.
PFA DG Muhammad Asim Javaid said the quality of food has significantly improved due to the actions of the Punjab Food Authority. He said food waste is a major problem nowadays that we are struggling to overcome.
He said the purpose of the PFA is to eradicate the adulteration mafia and raise awareness about eating nutritious food. If our children have healthy food today, they will have healthy minds tomorrow, he said.
PCSIR Ex-Chairman Shahzad Alam said that we need to increase food production in the fight against food shortages and hunger. He mentioned that malnutrition can be reduced by controlling food wastage. “Today, we must commit to reducing food waste by at least 50% by 2025,” he said.
Civil Services Academy Director General Farhan Aziz Khawaja said that we need to raise awareness among children and elders about the importance of the food we eat. He mentioned that 40 percent of the population is below the poverty line, while food wastage remains a major issue. He further said that the message about the importance of food must be conveyed across Pakistan, including Punjab, at the street level. As many as 244 officers under training in civil services would like to become ambassadors of the Punjab Food Authority, he added.
Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said that we are expanding the scope of the Punjab Chief Minister’s nutrition campaign. He said the nutrition program is also going to be launched in mobile hospitals while rural areas also have to be focused. He said grade 16 and 17 jobs for nutritionists will also be announced. He stated that if we want more Arshad Nadeem, we have to give importance to nutrition.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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