- The geography, governance, and politics of food insecurity in Pakistan
Food insecurity in Pakistan is one of the most persistent and complex socio-economic challenges of the twenty-first century. Despite being an agricultural country, nearly 42 percent of Pakistan’s population faces moderate to severe food insecurity. This paradox stems not merely from a shortage of food, but from an intricate web of economic inequality, environmental vulnerability, and weak governance that collectively undermine the nation’s capacity to ensure stable access to nutritious food for all citizens.
The problem is not uniform across the country. Certain districts — particularly in Balochistan, Sindh’s desert and coastal belt, South Punjab, and the merged tribal areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — experience chronic and acute levels of hunger. Districts such as Kharan, Awaran, Dera Bugti, Tharparkar, Umerkot, North and South Waziristan, Rajanpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan are consistently categorized in crisis or emergency phases of food insecurity. These areas suffer from harsh climatic conditions, recurring droughts and floods, isolation, weak infrastructure, and persistent poverty, which together erode both food availability and access.
At the core of this problem lies the failure of inclusive and effective governance. Government decision-making, though central to food security, often remains fragmented, reactive, and politicized.
The devolution of powers after the 18th Amendment created confusion in roles between federal and provincial departments, leaving no unified authority responsible for food security. Subsidy policies, wheat procurement, and irrigation investments frequently favor politically influential regions and large landholders, leaving small farmers marginalized.
Meanwhile, price regulation failures, inflation, and mismanagement of storage and supply chains drive up costs for consumers and reduce affordability, even when food stocks are adequate.
The state’s disaster management and climate response mechanisms have also been insufficient. The 2022 floods, which submerged vast portions of Sindh and South Punjab, exposed institutional weaknesses — delayed rehabilitation, inadequate compensation, and lack of long-term adaptation planning. Similarly, drought-stricken zones in Tharparkar and Balochistan remain on the periphery of policy attention, depending largely on humanitarian interventions from UN and non-governmental organizations rather than sustained state support.
Social protection programs like BISP and Ehsaas have provided temporary relief, yet their limited coverage, data inaccuracies, and urban bias leave millions in rural and remote areas unassisted.
The absence of integrated nutrition and education policies further perpetuates a cycle of malnutrition, poor health, and low productivity.
In essence, Pakistan’s food insecurity is not merely a crisis of production—it is a crisis of distribution, governance, and justice. The regions that suffer most are those historically excluded from equitable development planning. Unless decision-making becomes more inclusive, transparent, and region-sensitive, food insecurity will remain a reflection of Pakistan’s broader socio-political inequalities. A sustainable solution requires not only agricultural reform and economic stabilization but also the political will to recognize that food security is a matter of human rights and national stability, not charity.
Muhammad Azam Tariq is a Pakistani researcher, writer, and socio-political analyst contributing to Pakistan & Gulf Economist , Pakistan Observer and Daily The Spokesman. He is affiliated with the Pakistan Africa Institute for Development and Research (PAIDAR) and the Pakistan Institute of China Studies (PICS). His work focuses on governance, economics, foreign policy, and regional development dynamics in the Global South.