Have cake if there is no bread: Food Scarcity.

In Blog
January 5, 2021
Humda Qamar
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Food security has been a dilemma in many parts of Pakistan, as a state that faces the tragic seasons of drought and crop scarcity. What comes into observation is that the poverty levels of the state continue to grow and the expenses alongside with it. A vital right under every constitution lies that the authority

Food security has been a dilemma in many parts of Pakistan, as a state that faces the tragic seasons of drought and crop scarcity. What comes into observation is that the poverty levels of the state continue to grow and the expenses alongside with it. A vital right under every constitution lies that the authority must provide for the citizens of its state, food, shelter, and other basic necessities. Under the Human Development Index; vitality is given to three sections: economy, education, and health. Particularly, these factors initiate the developmental process of a country in the international forum, Pakistan represents itself by the natural resources it upholds and manifests the agricultural reputation. However, over the years of droughts, crop scarcity, negligence towards farmers, and now locust and Covid 19, the country’s agriculture has been facing a massive decline. This has resulted in compromising the food and nutrition security the state owes to its people.

Legally when looked into, Pakistan’s Constitution and food-associated organizations initiate multiple policies and laws which can enhance the literature of food security and agricultural aspects. Under article 9 and 38 of the Constitution of Pakistan, it is observed that the rights of the individuals include appropriate security of food to overcome malnutrition and early age deaths. However, what comes into a lack of judgment is the implication of these policies and laws upon the land. A capitalist nature has set a stone in society, which only strips the poor of the resources, and the rich are only capsized by enlarging their industries and markets, with overly priced products. Food scarcity is one of the most recognized problems that exist in Pakistan, The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) has recently released the key findings of the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES), 2018-19. It reveals that 16% of the population is experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity. The incidence is twice as high among the rural population, 20%, as among the urban, 9.2%. Shockingly, three out of five households, 61%, among the lowest two income quantiles in the survey, are experiencing food insecurity.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is alarmed by the magnitude of the situation and how hostile it is becoming with the ongoing proceedings of the pandemic and the constant neglect towards implication the laws and taking action to counter the problem at hand. The practices observed in Pakistan regarding the current matter is that the government has entirely neglcted food scarcity as a growing problem in Pakistan, despite the policy publication report on national food security to eradicate hunger and malnutrition and improve food security. Moreover, the prices have been iincreasing post 2018, causing a massive break in the affordability of food. The PBS, May 2020, shows a general inflation rate of 8.2% in the country, an increase from 5% in May 2018. For the same period, the general rural inflation rate has doubled, from 4.5 to 9.7%. As the poor spend a considerably higher share of their income on food, this has a greater effect on their purchasing power. So, with the same level of income, they are able to buy less food. Another problem that has risen is the gap that is between the central and the provincial governments with regards to addressing food security, despite the 18th Amendment in 2010, which devolves agriculture and food security to the provincial level.

Negligence towards the matter would only evoke a stronger outburst from the citizens. Post March 2020, the problems that have come into hand with the pandemic include droughts in Sindh and Balochistan, locust infestations around most agricultural regions and factory areas being infected and impacted by loss of production and employment due to covid 19. Even though multiple funds and charities have been allocated to the situation, the aid of providing food security still massively depends on the initiation of relief provided by the government with regards to decreasing the pricing burden, and provision of appropriate measures for securing food production and distribution to all citizens.