Oxfam GB, Pakistan and Action Aid, Pakistan Monday jointly organised national debate concerning the National Food and Nutritional Policy draft developed by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research. The event was aimed at bringing all the relevant stakeholders together to consolidate civil society recommendations around the policy draft. Along with Government, Media and Civil Society, the debate also included representatives of smallholder farmers who voiced their concerns and agriculture related issues.
The issues that were voiced by the farmer representatives included water-related problems, land grabs, hindrances caused by middle men, lack of seeds and poor communication linkages with the markets. Speaking on the occasion, Seerat Asghar, Secretary of Ministry of National Food Security and Research, mentioned that ensuring food security was government's priority and that the Ministry was welcoming recommendations from all key stakeholders to ensure that the policy covered all relevant issues. He also mentioned that "we all need to collectively realise that development of Pakistan that mainly depends on agriculture and need to work on it."
Based on the analysis of "Food Legislation in South Asia and its Link with Food Security" Research, undertaken by Oxfam and SDPI, it can be said that the Government of Pakistan has been taking different steps, through the enactment of different legislation and launching different plans and programs from time to time, to ensure food security for its citizens. However, food insecurity is becoming an emerging challenge for the country, despite ample staple food crops production, due to food inflation.
Some of the key recommendations that have been formulated include that there should be more emphasis on farmer led initiatives, policy should speak about inflation and food price volatility, addressing the issue of land grabbing and land degradation, effects of climate change should be very well integrated in the policy, ensuring availability of seeds and provision of adequate water should also be included together with access to credit, market and extension services.
Arif Jabbar Khan, Country Director of Oxfam in Pakistan says, "According to National nutrition Survey, 31 million people in Pakistan are undernourished. We need appropriate policies which will not only ensure access, availability and utilisation of nutritious food for the poor but will be implemented in their true spirit as well. We also urge the government to bring on board poor people, especially women who will benefit the most by these policies."-PR
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