ISLAMABAD: In a significant move to reform Pakistan’s agri-food systems, enhance food security, and boost export competitiveness, federal ministries for Commerce and Food Security held separate high-level meetings with a visiting UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) delegation on Thursday. The talks focused on aligning trade and nutrition policies, promoting Geographical Indications (GIs), and expanding access to affordable, healthy food.
Led by Mr. David Laborde, Director of the Agri-Food Economics Division at FAO, the delegation met with Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain.
At the Ministry of Commerce, Minister Jam Kamal Khan welcomed the FAO’s support under the UN Joint Front, which aims to align food systems with public health and environmental goals. The initiative seeks to identify provincial disparities in food production and consumption and develop cost-effective, data-driven policy recommendations within nine months.
“This is not only about food availability, it’s about access to healthy options and awareness,” said Minister Jam Kamal. “We must rethink how we structure trade, sustainability, and nutrition in an integrated way.”
Mr. Laborde emphasized that unhealthy dietary shifts, particularly the growing dependence on processed, high-fat foods is diminishing both public health and productivity. He stressed the importance of evidence-based reforms that address food supply, pricing, and consumer behavior holistically.
Both sides also reviewed progress on Pakistan’s Geographical Indications (GIs), particularly the registration and marketing of premium regional products such as Chilghoza pine nuts from Shirani, Chitral, Waziristan, and Diamer. Minister Jam Kamal noted that GIs can strengthen Pakistan’s branding abroad and uplift rural incomes provided national quality and compliance standards are enforced. He pointed to high tax regimes and weak regulatory oversight as current obstacles.
To ensure inter-agency coordination, the meeting concluded with an agreement to establish a federal-provincial steering committee and technical working groups to guide implementation of agri-food system reforms.
Meanwhile, at the Ministry of National Food Security, Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring food affordability and ending hunger. “Access to sufficient and quality food is a fundamental right of every citizen,” he stated, adding that taxes on essential food items should be eliminated to ease inflation’s impact on households.
Mr. Laborde acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts and reiterated FAO’s role in tracking global food security and offering technical support. “Due to rising prices, fruits and other staples have become out of reach for many. FAO stands with Pakistan to find sustainable solutions,” he said.
