October 16 is going to be marked as the World Food Day. Most people in Pakistan are facing the impact of food inflation of the worst kind for the last many years. Their budgets have gone haywire once it comes to food. But as you go down the economic ladder, you discover people are not eating enough and they certainly are not eating a nutritious and balanced diet.

As per one American study, Pakistanis spend 47.7 per cent of their household budget on food consumed at home. This is huge, highest among all the 84 countries surveyed. In comparison, an average American spends 6.6 per cent of his household budget on food. Judging by the disparity in their average incomes, one can safely conclude how little must the Pakistani citizens be eating.

According to another government document called Vision 2025 approved by the National Economic Council, 60 per cent of Pakistan’s population is facing food insecurity and 50 per cent of women and children under five years of age are malnourished.

Of course, these are important statistics and need drastic policy measures. But underneath these statistics lie real human failures of all kinds. Much of the food insecurity owes itself to uneven distribution across regions and classes. And what it does to the society at large is highlighted by Abid Qaiyum Suleri in these words, "…malnourishment leads to persistent lethargy, poor concentration, low achievements in school and at work, compromise IQ level, and long term physical and mental disabilities…"

Then there are supply side issues. That the people are not getting cheap food does not mean the farmer is happy. He, too, is inadequately compensated and it’s the middleman who is making the most money. While the government intervenes to fix the price of wheat and flour, the rest of food items have gone beyond the common man’s reach. They have either given up on other needs to get a steady food supply or they are cutting down on the amount and quality of food.

The government must realise that it needs to regulate the food prices and bring them down. This is the only message to take home from the World Food Day this year.