‘Develop resilient and holistic food system to fight hunger’

Islamabad: Experts stressed the need of taking immediate actions to protect food system to produce enough food in quantity and quality.

The COVID-19 pandemic has already posed a serious threat to our food system; we need to develop resilient and holistic food system to fight hunger, the panelists urged, while addressing the Comstech virtual seminar on World Food Day on the theme of ‘Grow, nourish and sustain together,’ organised in collaboration with UPSIGN and Pakistan Academy of Sciences. They warned that the food system is facing tremendous pressure from climate change causing the depleting natural resources, soil degradation, water shortage and increasing threat from invasive species of pests and diseases. It was noted that the new varieties have low update of trace elements and essential minerals that needs to be addressed.

Prof Ratan Lal, The World Food Prize Winner 2020, was the chief guest speaker. A panel of distinguished scholars and policy makers who participated in this seminar include Dr Tina Barsby OBE, Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB), UK, Dr Shahid Mansoor, National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Prof Iqra Ahmed Khan, former VC of University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Shandana Gulzar Khan, chairperson of the CWP network and chair of Agri products committee in National Assembly said the government of Pakistan is keen to develop a long-term strategy to protect its natural resources, especially soil and water.