TOBA TEK SINGH: Experts, policymakers, and researchers at a policy dialogue on “Research for Food” called for strengthening agricultural research systems, improving institutional coordination, and ensuring policy consistency to address Pakistan’s growing food security challenges amid projections that the country’s population may approach 390 million by 2050.

The event was jointly organised at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) on Friday by the UAF Agri Policy, Law and Governance Center, Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC), University of Management and Technology (UMT), Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture Multan (MNSUAM), and the Beaconhouse National University (BNU) Center for Policy Research.

During the event, a book titled ‘Debate: Agriculture and Food Security Policy’ authored by Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan along with co-authors Prof Dr Faqir Muhammad Anjum and Prof Dr M Asif Kamran was also launched.

The book was published by the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and focused on key issues related to agriculture, food security, and policy reforms in Pakistan.

PHEC Chairperson Prof Iqrar pointed out that Pakistan’s food insecurity was largely “a case of neglect” and called for tangible research-driven policies to tackle emerging challenges in agriculture and food systems.

He said agricultural productivity per acre was declining due to traditional farming methods, deteriorating soil health, climate change, limited access to modern machinery, and weak policy implementation.

He underlined the importance of integrating fragmented agricultural research institutions and improving coordination among universities, policymakers, and research organisations.

Prof Iqrar also stressed the need to revive the historic “Lyallpur Model” which linked agricultural research, education, and field-level extension services to ensure that scientific innovations directly benefited farmers and agricultural productivity.

UAF VC Dr Zulfiqar Ali said food security had emerged as one of the most serious global challenges due to climate change, water scarcity, and rapid population growth.

He said UAF had done significant work on the production side of agriculture and was working on the concept of “gene to fork.”

He added that while considerable progress had been made in agricultural production, it was equally important to strengthen value addition, marketing, processing, and other post-production areas.

Dr Kamran said the dialogue aimed to provide a platform for researchers, academicians, and policymakers to exchange ideas and formulate recommendations for sustainable food systems and evidence-based policymaking.

Dr Ejaz Qureshi from the Australian National University shared his views on global food systems, agricultural economics, and policy interventions needed to strengthen food governance and rural livelihoods.

He referred to the Australian agricultural research system and its relevant institutions, including ABARES, CSIRO, and ACIAR, as examples of structured and impact-oriented research approaches.

Prof Dr Andreas Bürkert from the University of Kassel emphasised the importance of international collaboration in agricultural research and knowledge sharing.

Published in Dawn, May 16th, 2026