Food insecurity in Pakistan specially in Sindh province which is contributing high share of oil & gas but majority of masses is facing food insecurity.

1. Ayaz Ali Soomro
Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum

2. Old Concept of Food Security
 Food security is a condition related to the ongoing
availability of food. Concerns over food security have
existed throughout history. In 1974 World Food
Conference the term 'food security' was established as
a formal concept. Originally, food security was
understood to apply at the national level, with a state
being food secure when there was sufficient food to
"sustain a steady expansion of food consumption
and to offset fluctuations in production and
prices".

3. Food Security, a New Concept
 A new definition emerged at 1996 in the World Food
Summit; this time with the emphasis being on
individuals enjoying food security, rather than the
nation. According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO), “food security exists when all
people, at all times, have physical and economic
access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to
meet their dietary needs and food preferences for
an active and healthy life".

4. Food Insecurity
Food Insecurity results from climate change, urban
development, population growth and oil price shifts that
are interconnected and rarely confined by borders. It is
an issue of global importance . The global population,
already over 7 billion, is growing by roughly 83 million
people every year. By 2030, about 1.4 billion people are
expected to enter the global middle class. Feeding the
planet while conserving the environment that underpins
food production is one of the greatest challenges of our
day.

5. Global status of Food Insecurity
 According to the report of FAO (2013) Some 842
million people, or roughly one in eight, suffered from
chronic hunger in 2011-13, not getting enough food to
lead active and healthy lives.
 The vast majority of hungry people live in developing
regions, while 15.7 million live in developed countries.

6. Food Security in the Context of Pakistan
• HH Food
• Secure42%
• HH Food
• Insecure58%
9.8% Food
Insecure with
Severe Hunger
19.8% Food
insecure with
Moderate Hunger
28.4% Food
insecure without
hunger
The results of Nat Nut survey reveals that at national level about

7. Food Security in Urban Areas VS Rural Areas
Urban Areas Rural Areas
• HH Food
Secure48%
• HH Food
Insecure52%
• HH Food
Secure39.4%
• HH Food
Insecure60.6%

8. FS in Urban Areas
 In urban areas of those households that were food
insecure

9. FS status in Rural Areas
10.5%HH
Food
insecure
with severe
hunger
20.7% HH
Food insecure
with
moderate
hunger
28.3% HH
Food insecure
without
hunger

10. Status of Food Insecurity in Sindh
Despite having 14 million acres under crop cultivation in Sindh,
according to a report drafted by the P&D, Eight of Sindh’s 23 districts,
most of them in the southern part of the province and in its coastal
belt were identified as having ‘extremely poor’ conditions for access to
food.
34% HH Food
Insecure with
Moderate
hunger
17% HH Food
Insecure with
severe hunger
71% HH Food
Insecure

11. Food is a Basic Right
 The right to food is an inclusive right. It is not simply a
right to a minimum ration of calories, proteins and
other specific nutrients. It is a right to all nutritional
elements that a person needs to live a healthy and
active life, and to the means to access them.
The right to food can be described as follows:
 The right to adequate food is realized when every
man, woman and child, alone or in community
with others, has physical and economic access at
all times to adequate food or means for its
procurement.

12. Regrettably……..!!!
 No policy is available to ensuring food security for the
people in Sindh. However, Sindh Government in its
report of 2013 on MDGs has reiterated its commitment
to take efforts to halve hunger and reduce food
insecurity in the province

13. Way Forward…
PFF believes in Food Sovereignty & Climate Justice
Food Sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate
food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right
to define their own food and production systems.
Or simply
Those who produce food should consume first
‫سو‬ ‫کيڙي‬ ‫جيڪو‬‫کائي‬
“Climate Justice is a vision to dissolve and alleviate the unequal burdens created
by climate change. As a form of environmental justice, climate justice is the fair
treatment of all people and freedom from discrimination with the creation of
policies and projects that address climate change and the systems that create
climate change and perpetuate discrimination.”
By following this philosophy of food sovereignty & climate justice, we believe that
we can end food injustice and food insecurity. The policies to address the climate
change and food security should direly need to have above bases coupled with
human rights approach.