FAO flags gaps in Pakistan’s nutritious food supply
• UN agency says over 60pc of citizens unable to afford healthy diet • Calls for overhaul of agrifood system ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has emphasised the urgent need to transform Pakistan’s agrifood system to improve access to healthy diets, a critical step towards addressing all forms of malnutrition and their related costs to society. The UN…
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has highlighted significant gaps in Pakistan's nutritious food supply, with over 60% of citizens unable to afford a healthy diet. This issue contributes to high rates of malnutrition and the rise of diet-related non-communicable diseases. To address these challenges, the FAO recommends several policy actions, including updating the national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) to reflect nutrition, health, and environmental priorities; introducing evidence-based fiscal measures such as taxes on unhealthy foods; and expanding nutritious school meal programmes.
The assessment also calls for reorienting the agrifood system to support the production of vegetables, fruits, pulses, roots, and tubers, as well as promoting healthier retail food environments.
Brief written by urgent.news from Dawn's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
