Achieving Food Security and Sustainability: The Green Pakistan Initiative 

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goal adopted in 2015 by all world nation-states puts forward 17 goals. These SDGs have garnered so much importance around the globe that it seems improbable that people are unaware of them; hence, delving into the details of the goal appears unnecessary. However, I will list some down, including: no poverty, quality education, gender equality, responsible consumption and production, food security, etc. The focus of this article is on SDG-2, which proposes the idea of sustaining the practice of zero hunger and its particular application in Pakistan. The idea of zero hunger at its face value refers to a situation where no one is hungry, but under the umbrella of sustainable development, there is more depth to it. 

SDG-2 aims to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote farming. Hence, it is not just about putting food on the table but about ensuring that people’s nutritional demands are being attained along with the best use of arable land, ensuring food security.

What is Food Security?

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

The concept of food security has four basic pillars that explain its essence: food availability, food accessibility, food utilization, and food stability. Based on these pillars, essentially any human being, regardless of their socio-economic class, geographical region, or categorization of any sort, must have access to food in the past, present, and future.

According to a report by Action Against Hunger, every single day, 733 million people are unfed, and one in every eleven people goes to bed hungry. 50% of children’s deaths are due to food insecurity. Almost 600 million people are believed to be at risk of food insecurity by 2030 with diseases contingent on malnutrition such as stunted growth, anemia, and underweight. 

Anthropogenic Causes of Hunger and the Weaponization of Hunger

According to the UN World Food Program (UNWFP), the cause behind hunger is not that Mother Earth produces insufficient victuals, it is the anthropogenic problems that have culminated into world hunger. Namely, climate change, conflict-ridden societies, gender inequality (patriarchal practices of catering to men first), and the most unfortunate one-food wastage. 

One out of five food products is wasted, one in every three women is anaemic, and 65% of the insecure people who live in conflict-ridden areas are famished. In war zones, political actors weaponize hunger by not allowing food to get to areas, for example, as we see in the Gaza Strip, where 1.8 million people have been subjected to the deprivation of food. However, even more than this, the most concerning situation is the destruction of 70% of the harvested fields that the IDF has scourged since the genocide started. The excessive destruction of civilian property is declared illegal. Yet, in conflicts, vulnerable situations, and a situation where there is a lack of resources and knowledge, the arable land is damaged, destroyed, and wasted of its potential. Destruction of crops, natural resources and reserves, and agricultural land that are vital for the survival of the civilian population is illegal under international humanitarian law in both International Armed Conflict (IAC) and Non-International Armed Conflict (NIAC) for the same reason: it sustains life. 

The Increasing Urgency for Sustainable Agriculture

Case Study of Pakistan

Food insecurity is a pressing issue that requires immediate and well-planned action. For this reason, rehabilitating the environment and concentrating on sustainability is crucial to making up for what has been lost and what is in the process of being lost. 

Sustainable agriculture can be defined as, according to the U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103,” an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term: 

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs. 
• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends. 
• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.
• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.
• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.”  

The goal of sustainable agriculture is to optimize the effective use of non-renewable resources while preserving and improving natural resources and safeguarding the ecosystem.

This method places a strong emphasis on agricultural and natural coexistence through methods such as vertical farming, genetically modified crops, hydroponics aquaponics, etc.

Pakistan is a country where food security is a major problem among a plethora of other problems. It stands at 109th out of 127 countries in the 2024 Global Hunger Index. Unfortunately, more than 80% of the people of Pakistan are unable to sustain a healthy lifestyle.

In order to solve pressing problems, including food insecurity, economic instability, environmental preservation, and climatic resilience, sustainable agriculture is essential for Pakistan’s future. Since half of Pakistan’s workforce is employed in agriculture, which accounts for around 24% of the country’s GDP, implementing sustainable practices is essential to the country’s growth. On the positive side, efforts are being made to find innovative ways to address these problems. The Green Pakistan Initiative is one such initiative that seeks to combat deforestation and advance sustainable agriculture. Building resilience against the food insecurity brought on by climate change is a significant step in this direction.

The Green Pakistan Initiative

The Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI) is a program launched by the Government of Pakistan and the Pakistan army to tackle environmental issues, boost farming productivity, and promote sustainable development. It includes projects focused on planting more trees, protecting wildlife, and adopting modern farming techniques. A Green Corporate Initiative GCI has also been established under the GPI to tackle modern agriculture, farming, and harvesting. The tagline “Modernize, Maximize, Mechanize” speaks for itself as the initiative aims to revolutionize multiple sectors, including:

1. Land and Info Management System LIMS: LIMS is a truly revolutionary system introduced under GPI. It employs remote sensors and is a Geographical Information System based on a live recording of the earth, soil, water, and weather, in this case, to analyze and provide real-time solutions and in-depth analysis of the data. It will help analyze soil, suggest best-suited fertilizers, forecast weather, and supervise crops.
2. Water Management: The system aims to bring water to the land by using large-scale structures, employing solar-powered pumps to extract water, modifying the irrigation system, and applying an IoT (Internet of Things) system to manage the water.
3. Agri mall Service: This is a truly unique service introduced under the initiative. GPI has partnered with many private companies for this endeavour. 250 agri malls will be located all around Pakistan, providing pre and post-harvest products and solutions.
4. Agri Company Service: Under this, the GPI aims to provide small, local, and even bigger farmers with rental services, which will reduce their capital expenditure on farming tools, fuel consumption, and access to cutting-edge technology.

Goals of the Green Pakistan Initiative

1. Reforestation and Afforestation: Planting trees across the country to fight climate change and prevent desertification. The “Green Pakistan Upscaling Program Phase-I” is a key part of this. 

2. Biodiversity Conservation: Preserving wildlife and their habitats by creating and maintaining protected areas.

3. Agricultural Growth: Modernize farming practices using improved tools and methods to ensure food security and strengthen the economy.

Green Pakistan Upscaling Program Phase-I:

Expanding Forests, Protecting Wildlife, and Promoting Sustainable Agriculture

The “Green Pakistan Upscaling Program Phase-I” is focused on expanding forest cover, protecting wildlife, and establishing safe zones for animals. The initiative has also identified approximately 4.8 million acres of land across provinces like Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for new farming.  To ensure progress and address challenges, Pakistan is working closely with international partners like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). In December 2024, Pakistan joined 14 other nations in supporting a global treaty aimed at phasing out fossil fuels, underscoring its commitment to tackling climate change. 

Conclusion

By tackling environmental and agricultural issues, the Green Pakistan Initiative represents a significant step towards a sustainable and climate-resilient future. The effort seeks to establish a harmonic balance between environment and development by concentrating on increasing forest cover, protecting wildlife, and encouraging sustainable agricultural methods. Pakistan is establishing itself as a leader in climate action by involving local people, putting cutting-edge technology into practice, and encouraging international cooperation. In the future, this program’s capacity to adjust to changing climatic circumstances, sustain solid collaborations, and guarantee successful grassroots implementation will determine its sustained success. The Green Pakistan Initiative can change the nation’s environmental landscape and make a significant contribution to the global climate objectives with continued work and support.

---

If you want to submit your articles, research papers, and book reviews, please check the Submissions page.

The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.