SDG 2: Zero Hunger – Pakistan’s Struggle for Food Security and Agricultural Justice
Research Structure Recap
Zero Hunger SDG 2 Pakistan, this article is part of a structured series on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each part examines one SDG through three questions:
- Is the SDG beneficial in principle?
- Is it viable and relevant within the Pakistani environment?
- What actionable recommendations can be made to localise the goal?
Our approach is descriptive, strategic, and grounded in Pakistan’s ground realities — meant to educate and guide, not just report.
The government of Pakistan prioritizes the food security and nutritional well-being of its population, enacting a range of policy initiatives such as the National Food Security Policy, the National Zero Hunger Program, and a commitment to fulfil Sustainable Development Goal-2. Agriculture possesses the capacity to advance the realization of these specific Sustainable Development Goals, as approximately 42.3% of the labor force is engaged within the agricultural sector, which concurrently accounts for 18.9% of the nation’s GDP.
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2024/11/26/pakistan-food-security-policy-paradoxes-to-achieve-sdg-2/
Introduction: What Is SDG 2?
SDG 2: Zero Hunger aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture — all by the year 2030.
The key targets under SDG 2 include:
- Ending hunger and ensuring access to safe, nutritious food
- Ending all forms of malnutrition, especially in children and mothers
- Doubling the productivity and income of small-scale farmers
- Ensuring sustainable food systems and resilient agricultural practices
- Maintaining the genetic diversity of seeds, plants, and animals
In theory, SDG 2 isn’t just about giving people food — it’s about building a food system that is just, productive, and sustainable.
Why SDG 2 Is Crucial for Humanity
Food is not just a basic need — it is life itself. Hunger is not only a physical pain; it is a form of humiliation, helplessness, and injustice.
Globally, over 735 million people faced chronic hunger in 2023, according to UN reports. Hunger weakens societies. It destroys potential, especially in children. It burdens healthcare systems and reduces productivity. Hunger is also deeply tied to poverty, inequality, war, and climate change.
That is why SDG 2 is not a side-goal — it is central to global peace and human dignity.
Pakistan’s Food Crisis: A Reality Check
While Pakistan is an agricultural country by structure, the state of hunger in the country tells a different story:
- Over 37% of children under five suffer from stunted growth (National Nutrition Survey 2018).
- Over 18% of the population faces moderate to severe food insecurity.
- Rural areas face chronic hunger, but the urban poor are now also food-insecure due to high prices.
- Pakistan ranks 92nd out of 116 countries on the Global Hunger Index (2023).
This is a national paradox: How can a food-producing country have a starving population?
Root Causes of Hunger in Pakistan
- Food Inflation and Accessibility
In recent years, food prices have skyrocketed in Pakistan. The poor spend over 60% of their income on food. Rising prices of wheat, sugar, pulses, and cooking oil mean:
- Even basic food becomes a luxury for daily wage earners
- Urban slums are increasingly malnourished
- Women and children are the first to suffer
This is not due to a shortage alone — it is a result of speculation, hoarding, cartelization, and poor regulation of food supply chains.
- Collapse of Agricultural Integrity
Agriculture once formed the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Today it suffers due to:
- Hybrid seeds and chemical dependence destroy soil health
- Corporate capture of seed supply and agri-inputs
- Water scarcity and mismanagement
- Fragmented landholding and outdated tools
Small farmers, who form the bulk of producers, are the most financially vulnerable. Many are falling into debt or leaving farming altogether.
- Urban Bias in Development Planning
Major development and investment flows into urban centres. Rural Pakistan, which grows the nation’s food, is left with:
- Broken roads
- Poor irrigation
- Weak health and education systems
- No safety nets for failed harvests
This urban-rural imbalance is pushing migration to cities, worsening slum hunger, while village agriculture dies silently.
- Malnutrition and Ignored Nutrition
Even when food is available, nutrition is not guaranteed. In Pakistan:
- Diets are often low in protein, vitamins, and minerals
- Junk food is marketed heavily, especially to children
- Nutrition education is lacking in schools and the media
- Breastfeeding rates are falling, replaced by commercial formula
The result: a population that may be eating, but not growing — physically or intellectually.
- Poor Policy and Implementation Gaps
- Agriculture has no unified national policy
- Provincial coordination is weak after the 18th Amendment
- Zakat and Baitul Maal are underutilised in food security
- Food schemes like Langar Khanas and ration cards, though well-meaning, are band-aid measures
There is no strategic food security framework that integrates production, pricing, storage, nutrition, and emergency response.
Economic Viability: Can Pakistan Afford to Eliminate Hunger?
Yes — if priorities are realigned.
Pakistan spends billions on subsidies, loan bailouts, and elite perks, but under-invests in:
- Cold storage and rural roads
- Farmer education and seed banks
- Local grain reserves
- School lunch programs
Ending hunger is not about more money, but about better direction. It is economically feasible if:
- Land reform is done to support small farmers
- Corporate food monopolies are regulated
- Investments are redirected to productive rural infrastructure
Pakistan can afford food security — what it cannot afford is the cost of mass malnutrition.
Recommendations: What Must Be Done
The ideas shared in this article should be seen as strategic options for further investigation, trial, and adaptation. Local pilot projects, academic research, and policy simulations should follow before these become formal national plans.
1. Protect and Empower Small Farmers
- Provide interest-free or low-interest credit
- Set up state-run seed banks for local, non-GMO seeds
- Introduce crop insurance and emergency relief funds
- Promote farmer cooperatives and fair market access
2. Launch a National Nutrition Mission
- Create district-level nutrition action plans
- Introduce free, nutritious school meals in public schools
- Promote kitchen gardening, especially in women-led homes
- Regulate junk food advertising and offer healthier alternatives
3. Modernize Agriculture Sustainably
- Train farmers in organic and regenerative farming
- Ban harmful pesticides and chemical overuse
- Invest in solar-based irrigation and water-efficient technologies
- Support agricultural innovation through universities
4. Reform Food Supply Chains
- Break cartels in wheat, sugar, and rice markets
- Ensure fair minimum prices for small farmers
- Improve storage and transportation to reduce post-harvest losses
- Build community-level food banks for emergencies
5. Integrate Faith-Based and Public Systems
- Activate mosques, madrasahs, and waqf lands to support food kitchens and orphan nutrition
- Revive zakat-based food programs for widows and orphans
- Create awareness around hunger as a shared moral responsibility
6. Create a National Food Security Council
- Bring together provinces, farmers, NGOs, and nutrition experts
- Monitor hunger indicators in real-time
- Plan responses to climate disasters, inflation, and food shortages
Conclusion: A Hunger-Free Pakistan Is Possible
Hunger in Pakistan is not caused by famine or war. It is the result of neglect, injustice, and poor planning. SDG 2 shows us a better way — but goals alone will not feed people. We must create a just, efficient, and resilient food system that respects farmers and nourishes every citizen.
A Pakistan free of hunger is not only a possibility — it is a necessity for national survival, stability, and human dignity.
