Red Lantern Analytica holds webinar on Pakistan's food crisis

Dr Marium Kamal began the session by making a distinction between 'Food Crisis and Food Security.' She said that everything is available on the ground. However, the prices of products are high.

Red Lantern Analytica held a webinar titled 'Pakistan's Food Crisis: Reason, Consequences and Way Forward'. Marium Kamal, Assistant Professor CSAS, University of Punjab, Pakistan was the webinar's expert speaker. Dr Marium Kamal began the session by making a distinction between 'Food Crisis and Food Security,' Red Lantern Analytica said in a press release. She said that everything is available on the ground. However, the prices of products are high. She described the current situation as a food security issue.

Speaking at the webinar, Dr Marium Kamal said that she conducted a small survey with her students in different parts of Pakistan about food availability, and its findings revealed that food is available but prices are out of control. She called inflation a main issue in Pakistan. Speaking on the food security issues in Pakistan, Dr Marium Kamal spoke on external and internal factors, according to the press release. According to her, the external factors that are affecting Pakistan's food security are: the world has still not completely recovered from the post-pandemic situation, Russia-Ukraine tensions disrupted food supply chains and climate change impacts which Pakistan is facing like floods, heat waves, and drought from season to season.

Citing the United Nations reports, Dr Marium Kamal said that Pakistan will face serious water security issues by 2030. She noted that all agricultural activities are dependent on water, according to the Red Lantern Analytica press release. In Pakistan, agriculture is becoming more difficult day by day due to climate change and the unavailability of water. Dr Marium Kamal named eight internal problems that are making it hard for Pakistan to get enough food. The factors include governance and management issues, serious economic crisis, double-digit inflation, low crop yields due to traditional use of agricultural methods.

Speaking about the internal factors, Kamal further that Pakistan is gradually moving from an agriculture-based country to an import-based goods country and unrest, chaos in underprivileged regions like Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, unemployment and unprecedented rise in population. She said that political turmoil and instability have further exacerbated the matter for the common people as inflation has increased from 12 per cent to almost 40 per cent after former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's exit, according to the Red Lantern Analytica press release.

In order to address the issue, Dr Marium Kamal stated that Pakistan needs political stability, micro-level support for agriculture, effective and strong governance and management, and major structural changes for economic stability. She concluded by saying, "Pakistan is self-sufficient in major staples and has rich natural resources. It's more about food availability, accessibility, and affordability." After the guest speaker's address, there was an in-depth Question and Answer session. Abhishek Ranjan, a senior member of Red Lantern Analytica moderated the session. Shalini Arya, research associate at Red Lantern Analytica delivered the vote of thanks. (ANI)

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