FAO raises concerns over Pakistan’s healthy food supply

Summary

• The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has called for urgent changes to Pakistan’s agri-food system to improve people’s access to healthier diets, warning that the existing food supply does not adequately match the nutritional needs of the population.
• In its latest assessment, “Food Supply for Healthy Diets in Pakistan”, the UN agency identified a persistent gap between the amount and type of food available in the country and what is required to meet the national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs).
• “Enabling equitable access to diverse, nutritious, safe, and affordable foods that support healthy diets is a policy imperative for Pakistan,” the FAO assessment concluded.

AI Generated Summary

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has called for urgent changes to Pakistan’s agri-food system to improve people’s access to healthier diets, warning that the existing food supply does not adequately match the nutritional needs of the population.

In its latest assessment, “Food Supply for Healthy Diets in Pakistan”, the UN agency identified a persistent gap between the amount and type of food available in the country and what is required to meet the national food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs).

The assessment noted that improving access to healthy diets is closely linked to Pakistan’s wider development objectives. It said more than 60 per cent of the population could not afford a healthy diet, contributing to widespread malnutrition. At the same time, diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing, while different forms of undernutrition continue to affect the population.