Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, met with the Chairperson of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS), Professor Anas A. Al-Nabulsi, on the sidelines of the High-Level Ministerial Meeting of the 38th Session of the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC-38), held at Empire Brunei.
The meeting took place at a critical juncture for the Asia and Pacific region, where steady economic progress continues alongside persistent challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition, and mounting environmental pressures. Both sides discussed Pakistan’s proactive engagement in global efforts to address these challenges and explored avenues to further strengthen collaboration with the Committee on World Food Security.
As an active member of the CFS, Pakistan has consistently aligned its national policies with the Committee’s policy guidance to improve food security outcomes. With a population exceeding 215 million, the country remains committed to advancing comprehensive strategies aimed at ensuring equitable access to food while effectively responding to evolving environmental and socio-economic challenges.
The two sides emphasized the importance of strengthening the uptake and implementation of CFS policy recommendations at the national level. The CFS Chairperson highlighted that meaningful transformation requires inclusive governance, enhanced collaboration across sectors and stakeholders, improved access to sustainable financing, and the integration of evidence-based policymaking. He underscored the role of CFS in bringing together diverse actors and facilitating coherent, voluntary policy guidance tailored to national contexts.
Discussions also focused on the ongoing development of global policy recommendations on building resilient food systems, with an invitation extended to Pakistan to actively participate in the negotiation process.
The meeting further underscored the critical role of research, innovation, and technology in transforming food systems. Both sides acknowledged the contribution of research institutions and universities in promoting solutions such as precision agriculture and digital tools to enhance productivity, sustainability, and resilience.
Additionally, the interaction provided an opportunity to review upcoming CFS initiatives, including the High-Level Forum on Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization, and Data, as well as ongoing policy work on resilient food systems.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration and stressed the importance of translating global policy guidance into tangible outcomes at the country level to ensure sustainable and resilient food systems.
