*

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ABSTRACT
This is a review paper. It discusses about the prevailing and emerging food security issues,
problems, threats and opportunities. Specifically this paper highlight the conceptual development,
current situation and growing concerns of the world regarding the global phenomena of food
insecurity resulted from poverty, population growth, climate changes, disasters, wars & conflicts,
rapid deterioration of natural resource base mainly water and energy,etc. It is, indeed, the prime
responsibility of a state to manage economically affordable, physically available and socio religiously acceptable safe, sufficient, healthy and nutritious food to her citizens at all times also in
UN Charter of Human Rights, international covenants and in land laws and constitutional
provisions of individual state. The information collected for this review paper comprised of number
of secondary and authors personal sources including world statistics, country profile, public
policies and various studies conducted by different professionals and organizations in the recent
past. The degree of hunger evidenced from many national and global studies, whereon, in the
Pakistans condition is not different rather the severity has grown more rapidly over the last
decade. Experts believe that the growing rates of crimes, suicides, child& mother malnutrition and
hunger situations have further aggravated the miseries of already poverty stricken people since
2009. The current situation has emerged mainly due to the reasons discussed earlier in addition to
rapid price increases, consistent double digit inflationary trend since 2011, corruption, floods, earth
quakes, internal conflicts, bad governance, growing unemployment rates and poor governance.
According to the recent State Bank of Pakistan report (April 2012) 37 percent of the urban
population and countrywide, 48.6 percent of the population was food insecure including 22.4
percent extremely food insecure. The impact assessment reports generally reflect the macro
picture and do not depict the real impact of public policies and interventions on individuals life and
household level. In reality, the situation is more pathetic. Government policies and interventions

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including the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) may have made some difference to a few
people but leaving millions vulnerable still unattended. The hunger situation in Pakistan remains
alarming and calls for immediate strategic measures to address

from the severe hunger-like

situation. This paper also includes details of suggested policy options, strategies and way forward
compiled from different policy studies. However authors stress to have proper institutional
arrangements for criticaly analyzing the practicability and efficacy of various recommendations to
reach the best possible options.Paper also presents some new suggestions including creation of
a National Food Security Fund and other institutional and policy framework to address the current
and upcoming issues of food security and mitigate poverty in rural Pakistan wherein most
vulnerables dwell. Nevertheless, it is the states responsibility to ensure food security, physical,
social and economic access to all the people at all the times to sufficient, quantity, safe and
nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for living active and healthy
life.

"
"

"
"

(Index)

Inputs

RDA

Inputs

I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

I.

social capital

II.

(human assets)

III.

IV.

V.

VI.

VII.

International Food Policy Research Institute

VIII.


precision lazer)

leveling

Value Addition



Quality Control

13.

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