FPCCI stresses steps for water, food security

ISLAMABAD: The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Wednesday called on the government to step up efforts for ensuring food and water security. 

“The challenge of feeding a population that is to grow in both size and consumption in the coming decades looms large while the availability of water used for food production is getting scarce,” said Atif Ikram Sheikh, Chairman FPCCI Regional Committee on Industries in a statement.

“The government should establish a department comprising resource economists and scientists who can study food resources, food security, and agricultural sustainability and monitor/evaluate changes in groundwater and land systems.” 

Moving ahead, Sheikh underscored the need for the government to remodel agriculture and food policies in the light of looming threat of climate change.  “We need to adopt solar-powered drip irrigation technology, which can improve the nutritional status of entire regions,” said he adding, a big portion of the country’s population is considered food insecure due to the high cost of food. 

The FPCCI official again stressed that the government should improve food and water availability in urban and rural areas using all available means as some sixteen million people lack access to clean drinking water in Pakistan.