KARACHI: The food expo and seminar, organised by the University of Karachi’s department of food science and technology, highlighted issues like food insecurity in the country as well as problems being faced by farmers to market their fruits and vegetables.

Participants in the seminar called upon authorities to take immediate measures and formulate policies for food security.

Indonesian Consul General in Karachi Dr June Kuncoro Hadiningrat, industrialists, manufacturers, scholars, researchers, students and faculty members attended the expo and the seminar held in connection with World Food Day on Tuesday.

The Indonesian diplomat informed the audience that Jakarta was working on food safety and advised that Pakistan should also adopt a similar approach.

He said that cooperation between Pakistan and Indonesia in the field of the food industry was remarkable. “Hunger does not only refer to lack of food but lack of access to adequate quality food is also included in it. Food security is the most important need of the times for which it is the responsibility of all nations to take measures to solve the problems of poverty and hunger.”

KU to launch human nutrition and dietetics programme

Speaking on the occasion, KU Vice Chancellor Prof Khalid Mehmood Iraqi announced that the varsity was launching a new four-year BS Human Nutrition and Dietetics programme in the department of food science and technology.

He said: “We claim to be an agricultural country but always fail to provide sufficient food supply in Pakistan. There is no doubt that Pakistan is an agricultural country but due to non-research based policies, Pakistan still imports more than what it exports and is now considering importing wheat which is a matter of concern.”

“Diabetes, blood pressure and heart disease are increasing rapidly due to lack of physical activities and unhealthy diet and lifestyle. We need balanced and moderate consumption of food for a healthy society,” he said.

He said that developing countries were being affected more by the global food crisis and stressed the need for taking serious measures in the agriculture sector and utilise modern technology to increase exports.

The chairperson of the department of food science and technology, Dr Shahina Naz, during her presentation mentioned that the Covid-19 pandemic had pushed an additional 88 million people in the country into extreme poverty.

She shared that World Bank had reported that Pakistan’s poverty rate was expected to remain between 2.5 per cent and 4pc due to floods.

Another faculty member, Dr Syed Muhammad Ghufran Saeed, said that malnutrition was an important problem in the current flood situation and more than 30m people were suffering from malnutrition.

Talking about the theme of World Food Day 2022, he said this year’s theme — Leave No One Behind — was chosen to mark the year with multiple global challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, conflict, climate change, rising prices, and international tensions.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2022