akistan is amongst the top ten producers of cotton, wheat, mangoes, sugarcane, dates, oranges and rice. Despite this, it is ranked 99^th on the Global Hunger Index (2022) out of 121 countries, implying that it faces serious issues of hunger.

Pakistan’s performance in terms of prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity is also not encouraging. According to the recent data from the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, around 42 percent people in Pakistan are either moderately or severely food insecure. Likewise, around 18.5 percent of people in the country are undernourished. Over the last decade, the percentage of undernourishment and food insecurity in Pakistan increased by 6 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

The FAO data also points out that the prevalence of undernourishment among the population in India was around 21.4 percent in 2004-2006, decreasing to 16.6 percent in 2020-2022. Likewise, 13.7 percent of people in Bangladesh were undernourished in 2004-2006 and 11.2 percent in 2020-2022. It is ironic that while countries like Bangladesh and India have made progress in reducing the proportion of undernourished populations, the situation in Pakistan has worsened over the past decade.

One might wonder why a country with great agricultural potential is failing to cope with the crisis of hunger and food insecurity. The problem is not as simple as it may seem. There are many important factors contributing to this alarming situation.

First, affordability and cost of food is the root cause of this problem. While millions of people face extreme to moderate food insecurity, getting healthy food that meets the basic needs of the human body is a major problem in Pakistan.

As of 2021, the FAO data showed that around 82.8 percent of people in Pakistan did not have sufficient financial resources to afford a healthy diet. As estimated by the FAO, the-per day cost of a healthy diet for an individual in Pakistan is about $3.89, which is around $116 per month for an individual. The problem is that the minimum wage set by the federal government is around $107 per month (Rs 32,000), which is not enough to meet even the food needs of a single person, let alone other expenses, such as utility bills and payments, transportation costs, education and health expenses, etc.

For the same reason, according to UNDP’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (2023), about 38 percent of Pakistan’s population lives in multidimensional poverty, of which 21.5 percent live in severe multidimensional poverty. About 13 percent of people are at the risk of similar multidimensional poverty. Recent fuel price hikes and inflation due to currency devaluation have further intensified the economic hardships in the country. This has also significantly impacted the situation of hunger and food insecurity. The recent Market Monitor Report by the World Food Programme also indicated that food inflation based on the Consumer Price Index has risen to 39.49 percent in July 2023 as compared to May 2022.

Like many other sectors, climate change has significantly impacted the hunger and food insecurity situation in Pakistan. According to the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, Pakistan’s contribution to the carbon footprint is not large. However, it is among the ten countries most affected by climate change. Pakistan has already experienced the devastating effects of climate change, which has negatively impacted livelihoods, further increasing food insecurity in the country.

It is evident that the impact of climate change on Pakistan is multidimensional. It directly affects the livestock population and productivity of the agriculture sector in the country. It also has a negative impact on the livelihoods of the population.

In 2022, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the floods not only impacted 33 million people but also resulted in the loss of 1.2 million livestock and inundated 9.4 million acres of crop area.

As indicated by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, the flood also resulted in the displacement of about 7.9 million people, posing a serious threat to their food security as a majority of the people relied on agriculture or livestock to meet their food needs. Those who were already struggling with poverty and rising inflation, according to the OCHR, are now adopting negative coping strategies as a result of this flood, such as skipping meals, selling income-generating assets and incurring loans.

Extreme heat and unexpected changes in the weather due to climate change have also impacted crop productivity in the country. For instance, FAO data indicates that wheat production in Pakistan declined by 9 percent in 2022 as a result of heatwaves. This impact was more pronounced in Sindh where a 20 percent decrease in wheat production was observed due to heatwaves.

It is evident that the impact of climate change on Pakistan is multidimensional. It directly affects the livestock population and productivity of the agriculture sector in the country. On the other hand, it also has a negative impact on the livelihoods of the population, who are directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture.

Food systems play a crucial role in shaping the well-being of a nation. Pakistan has shown interest in joining global coalitions like Zero Hunger Coalition and The Coalition of Action on Healthy Diets and presenting its National Food System Transformation pathway. It has already made the commitment during the United Nations Food System Summit 2021 to transform its food systems in order to achieve the goal of zero hunger by 2030.

Pakistan was among the 101 countries that voluntarily submitted country progress reports on food system transformation in the UN Food Systems Summit+2 Stocktaking Moment (UNFSS+2) 2023 and highlighted its interest in the integration of authentic data to inform the policy formulation process through a robust engagement with the ecosystem of support. It must sustain and escalate its efforts in making food systems resilient. It needs to transform its food system using a holistic, multi-sectoral approach.

There is an urgent need for a national nutrition and food security policy that can support and guide all stakeholders to transform the overall food systems in the country. It is also important that all the stakeholders are taken on board to make the strategy inclusive and consensus oriented. The strategy should advance the agricultural sector by laying out a plan for climate-resilient agriculture and food systems that improve nutritious, safe, affordable and diverse access to food for all.

In order to fully utilise the benefits of this national policy in the context of improved availability and accessibility for everyone, Pakistan should also invest in physical infrastructure, such as transport, roads, cold chain storage facilities and market infrastructure. Integration of technology, sustainable practices and equitable policies can lead to more resilient and inclusive food systems.

Salah ud din Yousaf is associated with the Sustainable Development Policy Institute

Faiz Rasool is a senior policy advisor at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition