ISLAMABAD: Pakistani universities and higher educational institutions gathered on Wednesday to deliberate on the integration of ‘food systems’ and ‘food systems transformation’ into the curriculum of Pakistani universities focusing on agriculture and food sciences.

According to a statement, the National Agriculture Education Accreditation Council (NAEAC) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), organised a national consultation workshop on ‘Introducing New Courses on Food System Transformation in Pakistan’.

The workshop aimed to address the critical need for integrating food system transformation into education, particularly in agriculture and food sciences.

This initiative was part of Pakistan’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG-2) and advancing food security for vulnerable populations.

NAEAC Chairman Prof Dr Fayyazul Hassan Sahi stated that the role of academia and the NAEAC was crucial to improving the understanding of the food system and transforming Pakistan’s food systems.

Country Director at GAIN Farrah Naz spoke about adopting robust approaches to improving understanding of ‘food systems’ and the ‘food systems transformation’.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2024