With an ever-growing world’s population, the responsibility of agrifood producers is also increasing. It has become evident from this pandemic that food is an integral part of our lives and need for survival.
Pakistan is among the countries that are facing nutritional deficiency. Most of the population especially women and children are malnourished and suffer severe health issues including stunting. COVID -19 has worsened the situation and pushed more people into hunger and poverty.
Food is the elementary right of the human. Food security and safety are the national responsibilities. Pakistan is agricultural land and blessed with natural resources. For a secure food future, we must capitalize on these resources. It is the need of the hour to think for the future and redevise our agrifood strategies.
Different agrifood segments- livestock dairy/beef, poultry, and aquaculture have great potential to meet the local demand and tap the international market. Milk, eggs, fish, and meat have the advantage of providing protein with a wide range of amino acids and micronutrients (calcium, zinc, Vit A, iron) that most people are deficient of.
Feeding the growing mouths will not be an easy call and will demand a holistic approach. We must sustainably advance in producing and supplying the local and international protein demand. Therefore, we must analyze our existing approach, ligate the gaps with advanced learning and technologies.
Understanding the population projections, arable land, and climate change, we need to set time-bound realistic targets for a sustainable food future.
Keeping in view the pace of technological revolutions taking place in agrifood, it is becoming clear that future farms and farming techniques will be more modernized with increased automation and a prime focus of carbon footprint reduction.
In Pakistan, the changing human needs and urbanization are demanding conversion of traditional dairy in advance commercial dairy. Though Govt. has prioritized the development of this sector but
farmers being the major stakeholder have limited resources and got less opportunities to access consumers or industry directly. Moreover, they are unaware of the environmental consequences their production systems and processing are posing. Therefore, we must educate and train them about latest technologies, advance farming techniques and environmental consequences.
Other factors like Genetics, Advance Nutrition, health /diagnostics, farm management and practices, processing/value addition, Human resource development, and regulation and legislation will be the defining factors for efficient and profitable farming in the future. It is achievable by thinking and working in collaborations for a sustainable dairy future in Pakistan.
Idea Dairy Workshop had been a wonderful experience that gathered all the dairy industry stakeholders on one interactive platform to share their valuable ideas. In continuation to its aim, IDEA Dairy Workshop is again inviting all stakeholders, national and international dairy experts, to share experiences and develop future dairying strategy. The workshop will be conducted on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), Ravi Camps Pattoki. You can join in person or online. Let’s think and work for a sustainable dairy future.
