Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Mr. Rana Tanveer Hussain, held a one-on-one meeting today with the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Mr. Qu Dongyu, during the 44th Session of the FAO Conference in Rome.
The Minister expressed Pakistan’s deep appreciation for FAO’s longstanding support to Pakistan’s agriculture sector. He briefed the Director-General on Pakistan’s ongoing reform efforts aimed at transforming its agri-food systems to become more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient in the face of climate change.
Highlighting agriculture’s critical role—contributing 24% to GDP and employing 37% of the labor force—Mr. Hussain outlined major initiatives under Vision 2025 and the Prime Minister’s Agricultural Emergency Program. These include reforms in water conservation, seed systems, digital extension services, and targeted farmer subsidies. He also discussed new national policies on biotechnology, e-commerce integration for smallholders, and soil health mapping.
The Minister noted significant outcomes such as the improved affordability of a healthy diet (from 37% of households in 2019 to 52% in 2024) and a drop in the real cost of healthy diets. However, he also underscored persistent challenges, including food insecurity affecting 36.9% of the population, rising input costs, and severe climate-induced stress.
Calling for enhanced international cooperation, Mr. Hussain urged FAO to support Pakistan’s access to climate financing, carbon markets, and adaptation mechanisms for vulnerable farming communities.
Director-General Qu Dongyu appreciated Pakistan’s strong reform momentum and reaffirmed FAO’s continued technical and policy support. He praised Pakistan’s efforts in climate-smart agriculture, digital innovation, and capacity building. Mr. Qu welcomed the country’s focus on smallholder inclusion and emphasized the importance of regional knowledge sharing and data-driven solutions.
Both sides agreed to deepen collaboration in areas such as seed biotechnology, food system transformation, early warning systems, and institutional capacity strengthening, especially through Pakistan’s research institutions and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) platform.
In closing, Minister Hussain reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to working closely with FAO and other UN agencies to build equitable, climate-resilient agri-food systems aligned with the SDGs and global food security goals.
