Speakers advocating the right to food called to formulate policy mechanism to stop commercialisation in farming and fishing sectors to avoid the food insecurity in the country. They were discussing at a launch of 'The Watch -2014', a journal brought out by a consortium of right to food and nutrition, represented by 16 international organisations and networks. The report launched by Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) on Monday at Hyderabad Press Club on the occasion of Ten Years of Right to food guidelines.
"In the past we had family farming and family fishing in Pakistan's Sindh province but the development of factory trawlers and corporate farming has wiped out the traditional fishing and farming mechanism. In result the small-scale fishermen and farmers remained victims of this. It happens because of wrong policies designed by the successive governments without taking community voice," said PFF chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah.
He justified that 1.5 billion family farmers are associated with their traditional work, contributing more than 70 percent product. But now he said specifically in the developing countries like Pakistan family farming is being replaced by the corporate farming. PFF chairperson Mohammed Ali Shah said it is for the first time the civil society organisations like Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, which had got access to reach the world forums to incorporate their recommendations for policy guidelines and mechanisms at global level. It is the result of social movements with the communities' mobilisation at grassroots level and now the representatives of farmers and fishermen can attend the world forums.
The event attracted a large number of agriculturists, researchers, academia, writers and media persons, including Professor Ismail Kumbhar of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, Suleman G Abro of Sindh Agriculture Forestry Workers Co-ordinating Organisation (SAFWCO, Shabnam Bloch of Oxfam GB, Nasir Panhwar of Center for Environment and Development, Mumtaz Mangi of FAO, representative of inland fishermen Mustafa Meerani, senior writers Ishaq Mangrio and Zulkfiqar Halepoto.
Professor Ismail Kumbhar said there should be a food security authority at province level or social watch group to monitor the status of food availability and affordability. He said the food may be available but it is not safe for human consumption. Hence, there is need to see if the food at dining table must be safe. Shabnam Bloch of Oxfam GB said the food is enough globally to meet requirement of entire world population. But there is the issue of inequality and bad governance. That is why majority of the people do not have access to food and living vulnerable life in their countries. Pakistan constitution guarantees to provide food to each citizen but due to inequality and bad governance the people are living bellow the poverty line.
Realising the significance and importance of Watch PFF as one of active members of consortium has launched the Watch here in Pakistan. Earlier, Jamil Junejo introduced the objectives of the report launch, linking it with the immediate need of world scenario at the face of climatic change and its impacts on food resources. Nasir Panhwar said Pakistan should design action plan to ensure safe food availability to every citizen. Because, he said, land grabbing has become the global issue and major parts of the land are being utilised for commercial purposes.
He said food availability and affordability can be seen separately, because for majority of people food items may be available but they could not afford to buy the same. This is the main problem, which can be resolved through policy mechanism. Poverty does not allow the people to buy food and hence die with hunger.
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