The agriculture sector in Pakistan employs approximately 37.4% of the country's labor force and contributes about 22.9% to the GDP. However, it also ranks as the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 41% of the total, second only to the energy sector at 44%.
Despite its significant role, Pakistan's food systems face challenges exacerbated by climate change, import dependency, and population growth. To address these issues, Pakistan, along with 159 other countries, has endorsed the UAE Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action, aligning with its commitments at the UN Food Systems Summit 2021. However, these commitments are yet to be implemented.
To overcome these challenges, there's a critical need to understand food system dynamics, which are hindered by a lack of data, impacting decision-making. Implementing a food systems dashboard could provide insights for stakeholders to monitor, analyze, and respond to emerging trends and challenges in real-time, facilitating informed policy actions.
Climate events such as floods, droughts, and heat waves adversely affect food systems in Pakistan, leading to decreased food production through various means, including extreme weather events, high temperatures, and land degradation. Import dependency is another significant factor, as disruptions in global food systems directly affect Pakistani consumers due to globalization.
Population growth poses a threat to Pakistan's food systems, with the current population standing at 241.49 million and projected to reach 350 million by 2050. This growth outpaces food production, leading to increased demand for food, particularly cooked and prepared food.
The Food Systems Dashboard provides data and evidence for effective policy interventions, helping policymakers allocate resources to address urgent issues in Pakistan's food systems. To tackle the triple challenge of climate change, population growth, and conflict, Pakistan needs a cross-sectoral and multidimensional approach to build resilience against these challenges.
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https://thediplomaticinsight.com/challenges-and-solutions-to-resilient-food-systems-in-pakistan/
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