The most important aspect of zero hunger initiatives is food and nutrition security. Poor health, low productivity, and excessive medical costs are all caused by food and nutrition inadequacies.
According to the findings of a research, households in the provinces of Balochistan and Sindh had a higher rate of caloric insufficiency. In terms of essential macro and micronutrient deficits, 40% of families were protein deficient, with 58% in urban regions and 42% in rural areas. According to a micronutrient insufficiency analysis, iron deficiency affects 22% of surveyed families in Punjab, 30% in Sindh, 11% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and 37% in Balochistan. Furthermore, zinc shortage affects 57% of Balochistan families, 56% of Sindh households, 35% of Punjab households, and 26% of KP households.
A closer look of the food security in Pakistan will be shown by dividing the population of Pakistan into four major groups: Extremely Vulnerable, Moderately Vulnerable, Vulnerable, Non-Vulnerable.
The results from the study show the following findings:
The results present an extremely adverse situation of the country’s food security. If the government and related food security agencies at the national level, as well as concerned international organizations, do not take steps to improve food security, particularly among children, the already high rate of stunting and wasting will worsen, resulting in a massive loss of human capital in the country.