HYDERABAD: Experts in agriculture, research and food sciences have expressed deep concern over the country’s worsening nutritional situation, warning that Covid-19 pandemic has intensified malnutrition among women and children while climate change continues to threaten food sources.

They were speaking at the “Provincial Consultation on Setting Priorities & Defining Research Agenda on Food Systems Transformation & Nutrition,” hosted on Tuesday by Sindh Agriculture University (SAU), Tandojam, with the support from Pak-Korea Nutrition Centre (PKNC) and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

According to recent findings, 82.8pc of the population could not afford a healthy diet and 37pc face moderate to severe food insecurity. The experts urged national institutions to formulate effective policies to address the food crisis.

In his presidential address, SAU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Altaf Ali Siyal stressed that if Sindh was to avert a surge in malnutrition and food insecurity, a united approach, from policymakers to farmers, was essential.

He called for climate-resilient agriculture to safeguard crops from floods, droughts and heatwaves; strict enforcement of food safety laws to prevent contamination and wastage and creation of nutrition-focused value chains to ensure delivery of healthy food to the marginalised households.

“We must invest in research and innovation to guide our policies and programmes, otherwise, the gap between food availability and nutritional needs will only continue to grow,” Dr Siyal cautioned.

Dr Benash Sarwar from the PKNC, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, said Pakistan’s food system was under immense strain, with an estimated 20m tonnes of food wasted annually including up to 50pc of fruits and vegetables after the harvest.

She stressed the need for integrated, multi-sectoral strategy aligned with UN Food Systems Summit Pathway and Sustainable Development Goals, along with a National Nutrition Research Agenda involving provinces, academia, government and development partners. This, she said, would help bridge data gaps, guide investments, and institutionalise reforms.

Dr Tahseen Fatima Miano, associate professor at the SAU’s Institute of Food Sciences, said children and women in Sindh were among the most affected. She noted that 46pc children under five suffer from stunting, 41pc are underweight and 23pc face wasting while anaemia in pregnant women reached 45pc.

She urged the government to prioritise food fortification, strengthen storage and distribution systems and expand community-based nutrition education programmes.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2025