ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan on Tuesday said the government was committed to follow the ‘Zero Hunger vision’ for acountry free from hunger, malnutrition and rural poverty.
Addressing a seminar as chief guest on “World Food Day”, the minister said that the government is hopeful that the zero hunger goal is possible by 2030 with political will, public participation and the right combination of policies and technical and financial support to the farming communities to increase productivity, minimize losses and improving smallholders’ well being.
The minister said that the country requires an integrated approach for the transformation of food systems and to realize this priority of the incumbent, the government would make sure to take all out measures for the access of food to all the sections of society.
He said that it is satisfying that Pakistan has already achieved the self sufficiency in food but added that the present government has given top priority to uplift agriculture and conservation of water in its first 100 days, which will certainly reduce hunger to the zero level in Pakistan by the year 2030.
It is now up to everyone including governments, businessmen, civil society, farmers and individuals to join their hands and eradicate hunger in our country, he added.
Messages from the president and premier were also read out at the ceremony in which the long standing partnership between the government and FAO was highlighted.
Federal Secretary National Food Security Hashim Popalzai said that peace, progress and prosperity are greatly linked to the food security in a country.
He said that government, researchers, NGOs and communities must join hands to achieve this goal with the help of suitable policies, strategies and actions.
The theme for this year World Food Day was “Our Actions are our Future. A Zero Hunger World by 2030 is Possible”.
Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Food Program (WFP) ,Oxfam and research institutes organized the ceremony at National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad.
