Daily Times

The recently released National Security Policy of Pakistan lays great emphasis on ensuring non-traditional aspects of security, commonly referred to as “human security,” besides the adequate emphasis on traditional security due to the peculiar geostrategic environment. The essential elements of human security include personal, community, political, food, health, economic, and environmental security. While each element is extremely important for the well-being of the people, food security is perhaps the most critical element of the non-traditional dimension of national security because, in the absence of the same, people will be vulnerable to exploitation by the perpetrators of hybrid war.

The essential elements of food security include the total and projected population, availability of water, a suitable climate, arable land, the employment of innovative technologies, and the availability of power supplies. In the policy domain, education, awareness, and incentives to the farmers, farm-to-market roads and the requisite storage infrastructure, and an emphasis on value-addition, besides the governance of the entire process, along with adequate efforts in research and development, are vital.

Pakistan, being the fifth largest state in the world, and a predominantly agri-based society, unfortunately, faces serious concerns about food insecurity for various reasons. The population growth rate has been a little over 2% for the last two decades, and hence, it will reach over 220 million by 2020. Water scarcity and climate change have only exacerbated the situation. Various studies have concluded that Pakistan could experience water scarcity by 2025 and become the most water-stressed country in South Asia by 2040.

The essential elements of human security include personal, community, political, food, health, economic, and environmental security. While each element is extremely important for the well-being of the people, food security is perhaps the most critical element of the non-traditional dimension of national security because, in the absence of the same, people will be vulnerable to exploitation by the perpetrators of hybrid war.

Moreover, the lack of proper yields for nearly all cash crops is negatively affected by poor water management, climate change, and extreme weather conditions. Despite efforts to improve farming processes through modern methods, better seed development, and resource management, Pakistan still has a long way to go in ensuring food security for its growing population at an affordable cost.

The four decades-long wars and conflicts in Afghanistan have taken a toll on Pakistan’s resources, particularly agricultural produce, thereby, draining its resources through smuggling and movement through illegal channels. The cumulative effect of population growth and smuggling has led to higher demands for food products, thus causing inflation of essential food items and contributing to hunger and poverty. The ongoing Ukraine War has further complicated the food supply chain across the globe. To bridge the gap between the supply and demand of essential food products, Pakistan has to regularly import wheat, sugar, palm oil, tea, and various pulses, which are a serious cause of food insecurity on two fronts. One, Pakistan has to pay in already scarce foreign currency, thereby adding to the current account deficit, which is at an alarming level. Two: the inability to fill the gap that may lead to extreme poverty, thus making the population vulnerable to exploitation.

Given the significance of the subject, the Center for Aerospace and Security Studies organized a seminar on ‘Food Security for Pakistan’ on January 18, 2023. I got the opportunity to moderate the event, which was largely attended in-person as well online. After a brief introduction to the subject, I posed four straight questions that CASS, as a think tank, was looking for answers to. What is the problem? Who is responsible? What can be done to mitigate the impending crisis? And what is the way forward to improve the food security situation in Pakistan?

The worthy speakers included Syed Fakhar Imam, former Federal Minister of Food Security and Research, and former Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Since Imam is a farmer himself and has hands-on experience in agriculture, he was invited to deliver the Keynote Address on the ‘Role of Agriculture Sector and Food Security in Pakistan.’

The second speaker was Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director SDPI, Islamabad, and the Convenor of the National Coordination Committee on the Prime Minister’s Agriculture Transformation Plan. He presented ‘A Critical Appraisal of the Food Security Situation and its Impact on the Social Development of Society / National Security.’ While the first two speakers spoke about the difficulties, shortcomings, and ways to overcome these within the domain of agriculture, the other two speakers were invited to speak on the importance of water management and the impact of climate change.

Mr Ashfaq Mahmood, Former Federal Secretary of Water and Power, carried out the ‘Evaluation of the Availability of Water for Food Security of Pakistan,’ and Ambassador Shafqat Kakakhel, Chairman Board of Governors, Sustainable Development Policy Institute spoke on the ‘Climate Change and its Impact on Food Security of Pakistan.’

My brief conclusion is that apparently, our policymakers are aware of the problems related to food insecurity among our populace, but the most important elements, which include water, climate, and agriculture, do not find the right place on the priority list of our national objectives.

The writer is the author of the book ‘Nuclear Deterrence and Conflict Management Between India and Pakistan’. He is presently working as the Director of the Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS)