By Babar Hussain,

Food security exists when all people have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for a healthy life style.

In spite of significant progress made in food production over the last 60 years, most urban population/communities have had to deal with uncertainty in food security on a daily basis, year after year and most often, generation after generation.

Food insecurity is a global menace, the intensity of which may differ from nation to nation. It is a complex phenomenon, attributable to range of factors that vary across the regions, countries and social groups. These factors can be grouped in five areas i.e. availability, accessibility, affordability, adequate storage facilities and nutritional value of the food should meet the requirements of healthy person.

In aggregate, over one-third of the population suffers from chronic hunger. The number of under-nourished population has increased from 24 per cent to 28 per cent; the number of people deemed “food insecure” has gone up to 77 million from 60 million in the last year. It highlights the fact that food insecurity in Pakistan is not necessarily the function of under-production and bad weather.

As of late 2007, increased farming for use in bio-fuels, world oil prices at nearly $120 a barrel, global population growth, climate change, loss of agricultural land to residential and industrial development, and growing consumer demand in China, Pakistan and India have pushed up the price of grains.

Food riots have recently taken place in many countries across the globe.

The World Bank estimates that the doubling of food prices over the last few years could push 150 million people in low income countries deeper into food insecurity and poverty. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 2006, both the agricultural and food production rose by less than one per cent. There are number of reasons, first is the post- harvest loss in cereals, second the soil degradation and less availability of irrigation water. People have shifted from agricultural sector to other business because of low returns and high risk and uncertainty.

Inflation has affected the common man and increasing food prices mean that half of the country’s population is facing “food insecurity”.

The following table indicates the trends in food inflation over the year:

It is useful to define the food security at national, household and individual levels. Food security at national level may be described as a satisfactory balance between food supply and demand. The household level of food security is most important. It may be assumed that incomes come to household and all resources allocation decisions are made at household level and household consumption is divided among its members according to their needs. It may be mentioned that food security at one level may not imply food security at other level.

A country which is food insecure will certainly contain groups of population which are food secure as compared to other country, which is food secure at national level but will contain groups of population who suffer from severe food insecurity, as in the case Pakistan.

While the per capita income has recorded a steady increase over the years, it does not indicates that the majority of population is food secure. If we look at the under-nourished population, it is quite high 27 per cent. This is an indication that food security is a serious problem

in Pakistan as shown in the

following table:

The following conclusions could be drawn from national experience:

The main cause of the food insecurity today is due to slide of purchasing power among the vulnerable in rural and urban centres.

Another major factor responsible for food insecurity is the shift from agriculture sector to industry. As a result of inadequate attention towards the agriculture sector, the production level has fallen drastically as compared to ever-growing consumption.

Post harvest losses in case of cereals are very high. The aggregate losses in wheat, rice and maize at the post-harvest level in country is 15.3, 17.1 and 12.69 percent, respectively.

Many of the soils have low levels of nitrogen and phosphorous which are vital for plant growth. With the elimination of, or drastic reduction in government subsidies for agriculture resulting from structural adjustment programmes, many farmers cannot afford fertilisers to improve land fertility.

The question then arises as to what steps should be taken to face the daunting food security problems. It can go into a long list, but only few of the priority areas are mentioned below which include both short- and long-term measures.

Most agricultural research is devoted to developing high- yielding varieties and improving soil quality. With both high yielding seeds and more fertile soils, rice and wheat yield could be doubled, sorghum yield could be tripled and maize yield could be quadrupled.

The government should announce an agriculture-friendly policy; measures should be taken to increase the purchasing power of poor against high wheat prices like food coupon and ration cards.

The data collection of production of crops should be improved. Similarly, the demand projection needs improvement.These are the basic essential elements for food security.

The productivity of crops can be enhanced by subsidising the cost of inputs particularly of fertilisers, seed and diesel etc.; high-yielding varieties with less water requirement should be evolved; food grains storage capacity needs to be enhanced, not only in capacity but also in quality, both in producing and consuming areas.

Dry areas in Balochistan offer high potential for agriculture; big investment should be made in this sector to alleviate poverty among the rural masses. All these measures would help establish food security.