Issues and options for food security
By Dr Fateh Muhammad Marri
Monday, 19 Oct, 2009 | 01:31 AM PST |
Food security is a flexible and multi-faceted concept as evidenced by numerous attempts to define it.
In this backdrop, the World Food Summit [FAO, 1996)] defined it as “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.
Food security assures access for every person to enough nutritious food to sustain an active and healthy life, including: food availability (adequate food supply); food access (people can get to food); and appropriate food use (the body’s absorption of essential nutrients). Food insecurity is a condition of uncertain availability of or ability to acquire safe, nutritious food in a socially acceptable way.
Food security has national and household dimensions. Effective supply and demand and equitable distribution of food are preconditions to secure food at these levels.
The dimensions of food security include availability, access, stability and safe and healthy food.
In Pakistan, the daily average availability of calories per person is lower by 10 per cent and 26 per cent relative to the average in developing and developed countries respectively [UNDP, (2009)]. Pakistan is trying to maintain 2,350 cal per person per day since 1990s from a level of 1,754 cal/person/day in 1961. Around half of the caloric needs are met through cereals only. Wheat and rice are the staple food crops, and shortfalls in production adversely affect food security.
Food availability depends on both domestic food production and imports. Although the government made a commitment to achieve World Food Security (WFS) goals, the food balance sheet reported by government itself shows no progress in the seven years from 1996/97 to 2003/04.
The per capita availability of the main staple food, wheat, which accounts for 53 per cent of caloric intake, declined from 130.85kg per capita annually in 1996/97 to 116.31 kilograms in 2002/03. Though it has increased to 127kg per capita in 2,006,it is still less than the level of 1996/97. Per capita per day caloric level is less than the recommended allowance of 2,550 cal/day.
Although per capita availability of food items are based on average and it cannot suggest equity in access, the per capita availability is encouraging. Further, the per capita food availability in relative terms is much lower and far below from other countries. The food production has not increased sufficiently as it is lower from the rate of population growth. The increase in per capita consumption can be attributed to imports.
Food inflation:
Food inflation was estimated at seven per cent in 2006 as against 12 per cent in 2005 The food inflation in 2008 touched a level of 50 per cent as is evident in the following table where, taking 2001 as base year, the food inflation in 2005 is about 12 per cent as Food Price Index is 112 which grew to Table 1. Per capita food availability the level of 1669.5 in 2008.
According to the survey report of World Food Programme (2008), the number of food insecure people had increased by 28 per cent. Riaz (2009) has suggested that people at risk of becoming food insecure is 77 million in Pakistan which earlier was 60 million but the recent food inflation has put 17 million additional people under risk of becoming food insecure.
Pakistan’s 71.2 million poor citizens (44.4 per cent of total population) need substantial support in their efforts to cope with the worsening food crises (Mazhar, 2008).
Table 2 further shows that food inflation is higher when compared to other consumer items which will not only indirectly contribute to food insecurity but may effect the employment and other businesses.
Access to land:
Land as a productive resource is the main driver of poverty or prosperity. In Pakistan, land is major factor in rural poverty. Those who have no access to land are poor. And poverty in rural areas is substantially higher than urban areas.
Irrigation water:
Irrigated agriculture significantly contributes to produce food items. Hence food security depends on productivity of irrigated agriculture. The agricultural growth is slower compared to population growth. Presently 83 per cent of available water is used for irrigation, which is expected to decrease to a level of 69 per cent by 2025 (Mari et al, 2005).
Resource degradation:
Resource degradation is seriously affecting food security particularly of those who depend on natural resources. For example, the urban wastewater and sewerage including industrial waste is added to fresh water sources across the country which is not only hazardous for human health but is also polluting ground water aquifers.
The World Bank (2006) estimated the economic losses from the reduced yields due to soil erosion in Pakistan as around Rs15 billion per annum or 0.25 per cent of GDP. The losses from forest and rangelands degradation are additional.
Low productivity:
Agricultural productivity has also been low for different crops. The farmers are not fully exploiting technology and there are inter- and intra-crop variations. Experts see that there is a chance to improve yields by 12 per cent. Mari, Memon and Lohano (2007) concluded that technical efficiency of onion, tomato and chillies ranged between 40 to 70 per cent.
Citizen’s rights:
Article 38 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan underscores the need of social and economic wellbeing of citizens. Giving importance to agriculture for sustenance of people particularly the poor is kind of food security insurance. Ending gender disparity and decent work and wages are also considered as right to food.
CONCLUSION: The above analysis suggest that majority of people are vulnerable and food insecure. Vulnerability refers to full range of factors that place people at risk of becoming food insecure and reportedly 77 million people in the country are food insecure.
Further, it is concluded that availability, access and sustainable supplies of food are major issues in food security. The solution to these could be efficient, sustainable and diversified agriculture with appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies for climatic change effects.
There is need for issue-based scientific research and better coordination among institutions for appropriate decision-making and technology of transfer. To cope with climate change, it is necessary to identify integrated adaptation and mitigation strategies and options for range of agro ecosystems so as to enable a favourable policy environment in the country for effective policy and practices.
population growth. Presently 83 per cent of available water is used for irrigation, which is expected to decrease to a level of 69 per cent by 2025 (Mari et al, 2005).
Resource degradation:
Resource degradation is seriously affecting food security particularly of those who depend on natural resources. For example, the urban wastewater and sewerage including industrial waste is added to fresh water sources across the country which is not only hazardous for human health but is also polluting ground water aquifers.
The World Bank (2006) estimated the economic losses from the reduced yields due to soil erosion in Pakistan as around Rs15 billion per annum or 0.25 per cent of GDP. The losses from forest and rangelands degradation are additional.
Low productivity:
Agricultural productivity has also been low for different crops. The farmers are not fully exploiting technology and there are inter- and intra-crop variations. Experts see that there is a chance to improve yields by 12 per cent. Mari, Memon and Lohano (2007) concluded that technical efficiency of onion, tomato and chillies ranged between 40 to 70 per cent.
Citizen’s rights:
Article 38 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan underscores the need of social and economic wellbeing of citizens. Giving importance to agriculture for sustenance of people particularly the poor is kind of food security insurance. Ending gender disparity and decent work and wages are also considered as right to food.
CONCLUSION: The above analysis suggest that majority of people are vulnerable and food insecure. Vulnerability refers to full range of factors that place people at risk of becoming food insecure and reportedly 77 million people in the country are food insecure.
Further, it is concluded that availability, access and sustainable supplies of food are major issues in food security. The solution to these could be efficient, sustainable and diversified agriculture with appropriate adaptation and mitigation strategies for climatic change effects.
There is need for issue-based scientific research and better coordination among institutions for appropriate decision-making and technology of transfer. To cope with climate change, it is necessary to identify integrated adaptation and mitigation strategies and options for range of agro ecosystems so as to enable a favourable policy environment in the country for effective policy and practices.
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