Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 27 May 2021

FAO

PRESS RELEASE

Food System Summit Dialogue: Towards a Sustainable Food System in Pakistan

 May 27, 2021-Islamabad – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in collaboration with Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) held a virtual workshop addressing sustainable food systems in connection to the United Nations Food System Summit Dialogue 2021. The workshop was attended by representatives from Ministry of Food Security and Research, Pakistan Bureau Statistics, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, private sector, academia,  UN agencies and other stakeholders.

The Food System Summit is part of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) by 2030. The Summit will launch bold new actions to deliver progress on all 17 SDGs, each of which relies on healthier, more sustainable and equitable food systems. The Summit is bringing together key players from science, business, policy, healthcare, academia, private sector, farmers, indigenous people and youth and other key stakeholders. The Summit process aims to generate significant action and measurable progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by identifying solutions and leaders, and issuing a call for action at all levels of the food systems, including national and local governments, companies and citizens.

The workshop presented findings of studies conducted by FAO together with PIDE that addresses food production and supply chain, Pakistan food forecast, food loss and waste, drivers of food systems, food policy and regulation and nexus between food poverty and insecurity in Pakistan.

Welcoming the participants, Deputy Representative of FAO, Mr. Farrukh Toirov stated that “importance of Pakistan’s role in the Food Systems Summit 2021 cannot be underestimated. The country has a growing population of over 220mln people to feed.  Food systems of several neighboring countries depend on Pakistan’s production, research, and logistical capacity and food supply chains. FAO studies on food systems in Pakistan are providing strong analytical bases to assess the shortcomings and propose solutions. The studies will contribute to the ongoing national dialogue and presenting Pakistan’s case and national vision inclusively in the Food Systems Summit 2021”.

Speaking at the workshop, Secretary of Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Mr. Ghufran Mamon said that we have a national food security policy which also speaks about a modern and efficient food production and distribution system that contributes to food security and contribution in terms of availability, access and utilization and stability. The upcoming United Nations Food System Summit 2021 is important event that will provide a comprehensive universal plan for food and nutrition security and we want to benefit from it.  FAO is a key partner in improving agriculture, food and nutrition security in the country. The technical support in the form of regularly produced analytical and knowledgeable products produced by FAO in collaboration with PIDE contribute towards our aim to achieve a sustainable food systems for Pakistan, he said.

Concluding the workshop, Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Mr. Azeem Khan said that the Government of Pakistan just held the first national dialogue and the provincial dialogues will be starting very soon. The findings of these analytical studies by FAO contribute to the five action tracks of the United Nations Food System Summit. The game changer proposition decided at national level will be presented in the Summit in September 2021 and the result and plans of the Summit will be implemented with support from international partners and other stakeholders, he said.

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