Fighting Hunger

THE fight against hunger is being lost. Today, there are over 1 billion hungry people around the globe. The alarming thing is that this number continues to increase. Given this backdrop, the scourge's extreme form that prevails in a number of African countries where food shortage has been a source of bloody riots and has provoked armed conflicts could rear its head in other parts of the world as well. The recent global food crisis that affected a heavy toll all around should be a wake-up call, to say the least. Already there are estimates that the crisis would worsen in the days to come. So there should be no dithering on this count. Though Pakistan, which lies in one of the world's most populous regions, has been hit hard, the leadership at the helm remains indifferent. The skyrocketing price of the food items has pushed millions into hunger and poverty. Admittedly the government has faltered on a number of fronts. For instance, it gave a carte blanche to the wheat and sugar mafia to manipulate prices. Likewise, there is also no mistaking the reality that the hoarders are not reined in. Such a shoddy performance could hardly be expected to guarantee food security. There is also a perception that agricultural potential of the country in terms of food security has not been fully developed. Despite having an irrigation system that is one of the best in the world, we still have to import a number of foodstuffs. Among other things, one cannot help but hold the food ministry and the departments working under it responsible for the dismal picture. They are simply blind to the situation faced by small landowners, which form a big chunk of the farming community. Even basic issues, like high price of the inputs, shortage of seeds and fertilisers during the crop season, remain un-addressed. How in such circumstances could the sector be expected to produce sufficient food? Undoubtedly, the country is in need of a Green Revolution. Food security would remain a dream otherwise.