Pakistan has stated that it supports the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in building a facility with broader and people-centric criteria to further strengthen its efforts to defeat hunger, improve nutrition, and ensure food security in developing countries. The statement was made at the recently concluded UN Economic and Social (ECOSOC) Youth Forum.

Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan, Ambassador Usman Jadoon, stated, “We have considerable potential in the agriculture sector and could play an important role in building the global food supply chains.” Over a thousand young activists and leaders from around the world attended the meeting.

At the same time, he expressed Pakistan’s support for the UN Secretary-General’s demand for immediate reform of the global financial system, emphasising the need to address debt relief on behalf of the billions of impoverished people living in developing nations. He said that this reform was essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 2) of ending world hunger.

Given the growing susceptibility of the world’s food systems to a wide range of problems, Ambassador Jadoon also emphasised the necessity of coordinated worldwide efforts to build robust and sustainable food systems that can survive shocks and disruptions.

He issued a warning that there was a convergence of crises facing the world, including supply chain disruptions, economic contractions, and conflicts. These crises posed serious dangers to the ability of the current food systems to deliver safe, affordable, and nutrient-dense diets for everyone.

According to the envoy from Pakistan, which is the fifth most populated nation in the world and has a sizable youth population, Pakistan understood the vital significance of preserving food systems for coming generations. He said that the country’s economy was based mostly on agriculture, which employed a sizable percentage of the working population and made a major contribution to GDP.

The catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022, which damaged 4.4 million acres of standing crops, were cited by Ambassador Usman Jadoon as evidence of the grim realisation that food systems are extremely susceptible and that countries vulnerable to climate change confront urgent concerns.

According to him, Pakistan is facing significant challenges in the agriculture sector due to a series of interconnected crises, which have resulted in a sharp increase in food costs on the global market.

In addition to addressing acute crises, Ambassador Jadoon stated that Pakistan pushed for international aid that gave priority to the long-term resilience and sustainability of food systems in the most vulnerable countries. According to him, ensuring food security required a comprehensive strategy that took into account both immediate problems and long-term opportunities, especially for the young people who are the nation’s future.

He added that Pakistan calls on all stakeholders to work together to create resilient food systems that can survive the challenges of today and tomorrow since the country is dedicated to the welfare of its citizens as well as the global community.