ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: The steering committee of Pakistan Food Security Analysis (FSA), comprising government officials and representatives of the United Nations, in its first meeting held here on Wednesday discussed its strategy to undertake the research study.

The FSA programme is a joint effort by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) to produce a systematic identification and assessment of food security issues in the country.

During the meeting, it was decided that data for the study would be collected at districts level in all the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Northern Areas and Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The members of the committee were of the view that the scope of the study should be wider and its focus be more specific on the basis of geographical locations and households.

Some participants were of the view that secondary data for such a study is not sufficient to see the realities on the ground.

Dr Abid Qayyum Suleri, team leader of the FSA study gave presentations on ‘food security analysis: introduction and approach’ and ‘food security analysis indicators’. Dr Suleri said food insecurity existed when all people, at all times, did not have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

Access to food and income, and food availability, utilization and consumption requirements, could ensure food security, he added.

He said food status, social and economic conditions, food absorption, food access, food availability and dietary habits would be the determinant factors and indicators.