The World Food Day-2019 was marked by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) at a local hotel on Wednesday. This year the World Food Day theme was "Our Actions are Our Future. Healthy diet for a zero hunger world."

Sindh Agriculture Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo talked about the fears of increasing food insecurity in Sindh province, saying, "We are bestowed with rich natural resources including fertile agriculture land, fisheries, forests and others, which we should protect for the future generations."

He further said that farmers produce food for the growing population here, but they are facing hardships to have nutritious food for their children. We must take steps for well-being of these poor farmers.

The minister said the farmers deserve more to have sufficient food, proper education and health care to their children. He accredited FAO for working for nutrition and awareness raising of marginalised people in Sindh through its partner organisations. He said the provincial government has also launched different projects for ending poverty and providing employment opportunities to youth through skill-enhancement programmes.

He said Sindh has an agriculture policy to promote agriculture and help farmers. He said they are also working to provide health cards to the deserving people of Sindh province.

Secretary for Livestock and Fisheries Mr Aijaz Mahesar said previously deep sea fishing trawlers had been awarded licenses, which destroyed fishing grounds through huge fishing nets. Now these trawlers have been banned and the Sindh government is trying to restore these marine resources.

Ms Genevieve Hussain, representing FAO, said that healthy diets can only be achieved through a food system approach that starts with healthy soils and sustainable agriculture practices. For FAO, nutrition indicates health, productivity and overall well-being of people and prosperity of societies.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019