EDITORIAL: The Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO’s) latest assessment exposes a widening gulf between what Pakistanis need to eat and what the country’s food system supplies. Its recently released policy brief, “Food Supply for Healthy Diets in Pakistan” finds that the food system is failing a basic test of public policy: meeting the nutritional needs set out in the country’s dietary guidelines.
Vegetables, fruits, roots and tubers, and pulses remain in short supply, while cereals and sugar exceed dietary requirements. With over 60 percent of Pakistanis unable to afford a healthy diet, misplaced agricultural priorities and barriers to food distribution and affordability are deepening the nutritional crisis, fuelling under-nutrition, rising obesity, and diet-related disease.
The scale of the shortfall is evident in the figures. Between 2010 and 2023, the estimated gap in vegetable supply widened from 10.9-17.8 million tonnes to 13-21.6 million tonnes, while the shortfall in fruits grew from 1.9-10.3 million tonnes to 3.9-14.3 million tonnes. Rapid population growth is further intensifying pressure on an already inadequate food supply, while climate change and increasingly severe weather events threaten agricultural production, damage crops and disrupt supply chains. These converging pressures risk further widening the gap between Pakistan’s nutritional needs, and its capacity to supply affordable, nutritious food.
The consequences are evident in Pakistan’s public health burden. Around 40 percent of children under five suffer from stunting, impairing their physical growth, cognitive development and learning, with lasting effects on educational attainment and productivity. Anaemia affects approximately 42 percent of women of reproductive age, compounding maternal health risks in a country with a high maternal mortality burden. Meanwhile, Pakistan has one of the world’s highest diabetes prevalence rates, with an estimated 31.4 percent of adults aged 20-79 affected in 2024. Diets high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats fuel obesity and raise the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable illnesses. The coexistence of under-nutrition and obesity underscores the failure to make balanced diets accessible, imposing further costs on healthcare, productivity, the country’s human development and its economic potential.
These health outcomes reflect structural flaws in the food system. Agricultural policy has traditionally favoured major crops such as wheat and rice, with less emphasis on ensuring an adequate, affordable supply of fruits, vegetables, and pulses. Poor storage, weak cold-chain infrastructure, transport bottlenecks and post-harvest losses further constrain the availability of perishable produce and drive up prices. For low-income households, nutritious foods often remain beyond reach, making cheaper, calorie-dense alternatives the more practical choice. Telling people to eat better will achieve little if the food they are encouraged to choose remains beyond their means.
The FAO’s call to align agricultural investment and trade priorities with nutritional needs is therefore an important starting point for correcting these imbalances and ensuring that Pakistan’s food system delivers not just adequate calories, but the diversity of nutrients essential for a healthy population. It also recommends better food distribution, investment in storage and market infrastructure, and measures to reduce food waste. Further, it advocates nutrition education, front-of-package labelling and taxes on sugary drinks and foods high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.
What these recommendations demand is coordinated action by federal and provincial governments to realign agricultural subsidies, research and market policies with the country’s nutritional needs. Farmers must be supported in growing a wider variety of crops and given access to finance, reliable markets and better storage facilities to minimise losses. Public procurement for schools and hospitals can stimulate demand for nutritious foods, while targeted assistance can make them affordable for low-income households. Ultimately, agricultural success must be redefined, measured not merely by yields and output but by the food system’s ability to provide every citizen with an affordable, balanced and nutritious diet.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026