Prioritizing Climate-Aware Policies To Agricultural Practices: Achieving SDG-2: Zero Hunger – OpEd

“We are the first generation who saw the impact of climate change, and perhaps we are the last generation who can do something about it” -- Barack Obama

In 2015, the world committed to achieve seventeen goals known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to overcome issues such as poverty reduction, environmental protection and universal healthcare. Pakistan, like other nations is not only committed to achieve these goals by 2030, but also was the first country to localize them through a parliamentary resolution. Ending poverty and achieving zero hunger remains the cornerstone of SDGs for Pakistan, as it hosts fifth largest population and severe food insecurity due to increasing climatic changes. Recurrent climate disasters, outdated farming methods and lack of awareness towards the catastrophic impacts of climate change has severely hampered Pakistan’s efforts towards achieving SDG-2, i.e., Zero Hunger.

In the post-2015 era, Pakistan produced only two policies related to the SDG-2 namely “The Multi-Sectorial National Nutrition Policy” in 2015 and “Food Security Policy” in 2017. In both polices the vision is to reduce hunger by using technology, such as introducing biotechnology and bioengineering in agriculture, cultivating barren land and saline land into fertile land, and enhancing the quality and quantity of food in the agricultural sector for the fulfillment of food shortage in the country. Policies remain just written papers there is no proper implementations regarding achieving zero hunger.

Another issue facing the policymaking landscape in Pakistan is the lack of awareness in both public and private institutions related to climate issues. Due to climate change, the weather patterns have already altered which is affecting agricultural output, resultantly farmers are employing risky farming methods by using chemicals and pesticides to get more yield. The consequence of such methods and lack of awareness is soil erosion and emerging food insecurity in the country.

According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the percentage of food insecurity in Pakistan stood at 12.07% and 12.9% during the periods 2017-2019 and 2020-2022, respectively. With an increase of 6.89% for the given timeframes, the FAO also warns that the food insecurity will further increase for the current year (2024). Additionally, according to the Global Hunger Index 2023, Pakistan ranked 92nd out of 116 countries, which shows a serious level of hunger in the country. Similarly, according to a UNICEF report in 2023, 8 out of 10 children in Pakistan do not eat the right type and quantity of food.

During the super floods of 2022, Pakistan's agricultural sector was severely impacted resulting in significant losses of lives and livelihood, including cattle used for farming purposes. The loss to arable land stood at nearly 4.4 million acres, while the total livestock losses were around 1 million. Almost US$30.13 billion was the estimated total cost of the loses, of which agriculture suffered US$12.9 billion (43% of the total losses). Sindh was the most affected province in terms of land damages with respect to cultivable land. Approximately 2.8 million hectare, 57% of the overall cultivable land, was affected in Sindh. The post-flood damage analysis indicated expected production losses of 80% (1.8 million tons), and 61% (10.5 million tons) for rice and sugarcane in Sindh respectively.

The need of the hour is to develop mechanisms to mitigate food insecurity and progress towards the goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan established a National Command & Operations Center (NCOC) to control the spread of the contagious virus. The mechanism not only achieved marvelous results, but was also globally praised. Similarly, Pakistan should tackle food insecurity and achieve Zero Hunger by enacting proactive policies that prioritize climate-aware agricultural practices and the delivery of nutritious food to those in need. Regular checks and balances can ensure the timely intervention in critical regions affected by hunger due to climate effects. Pakistan should allocate substantial funds towards SDG 2: Zero Hunger initiatives by collaborating with UN agencies like UNICEF and FAO, leveraging their expertise to combat hunger, especially among children and women. By prioritizing human security and working collectively, Pakistan can ensure a healthier future for its youth, who are vital to leading the nation forward.