Pakistan's Food System Relies Too Much on Cereals, Sugar, Fats: UN Report

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations indicated deep structural imbalances in food availability that undermine nutrition, public health, and long-term development outcomes, according to a report by Dawn.

"Significant gaps persist in the availability of fruits and vegetables, pulses and legumes which weaken efforts to address malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and diet-related diseases," the report said.

Results tabled at National Results Dissemination Workshop on the Integrated Roadmap for Sustainable Food Systems Transformation in Pakistan urged strategic reallocation of subsidies by the government to boost production, accessibility of nutrient-rich foods.

While Pakistan's overall food energy availability is adequate, the quality of food falls short in terms of "healthy diets in line with the National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines of 2018."

Pakistan's food supply is characterised by a substantial oversupply of cereals, grains, sugar, and edible oils, far exceeding levels recommended for healthy diets.

This imbalance reinforces cereal-heavy consumption patterns, limits dietary diversity, and contributes to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the analysis showed.

Grains and cereals dominate food consumption, across geographies, with rural households being more dependent on them. Milk and dairy products were the second most consumed food category nationally, the report said.

Consumption of vegetables remains moderate, and fruit intake is consistently low, especially in rural areas signalling widespread micronutrient gaps. Protein sources beyond dairy remain limited, including consumption of meat, poultry, and eggs. Consumption of pulses remains insufficient to make up for protein from lack of animal-based foods, it added.

Rural households consume more free sugar and fats than urban households, reflecting reliance on inexpensive, energy-dense foods.

Further, sales of processed foods have nearly doubled in recent years, and poor dietary patterns are contributing to Pakistan's double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with rising obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

The report cited several independent estimates such as 34.5 million people in Pakistan, including one in three adults being diabetic. NCDs now account for 58 per cent of all deaths nationwide, the report said, adding cardiovascular disease alone claims nearly 4 lakh lives annually.

- IANS