PM calls for nationwide action to build safe and resilient food system

• Premier Shehbaz urges federal, provincial governments and stakeholders to ensure food safety on World Food Safety Day

• Reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to safe, nutritious and contamination-free food, highlighting WHO-FAO role and global push on foodborne risk prevention

• Stresses climate, water scarcity and research gaps as key agricultural challenges, calling for collective responsibility from farm to fork to secure food future

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday called upon federal and provincial governments, farmers, universities, research institutions, the private sector, civil society, media organisations, development partners and all citizens to play their role in building a safe, resilient and nutritious food system in Pakistan.

In a message on World Food Safety Day being observed on June 7, the prime minister said Pakistan joins the international community in reaffirming its commitment to ensuring access to safe, nutritious and wholesome food free from contamination and foodborne diseases.

“Every individual involved in agriculture and food systems, including farmers, livestock breeders, fishers, researchers and food industry stakeholders, should play a vital role in safeguarding food safety. Today, we also pay tribute to their invaluable contributions and dedicated services,” he added.

He said World Food Safety Day is observed under the auspices of the United Nations and jointly led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), highlighting the importance of preventing, detecting and effectively managing foodborne risks and diseases.

“This year’s theme, ‘From Burden to Solutions: Safe Food Everywhere,’ underscores the need to translate scientific evidence into practical solutions that ensure safe food for all,” he remarked.

He noted that this year also marks the publication of a comprehensive World Health Organization report presenting updated global, regional and national estimates of foodborne diseases, related deaths and their impact on public health.

“The report’s findings are alarming. Each year, an estimated 866 million people worldwide fall ill due to contaminated food, while nearly 1.5 million lose their lives. In addition, unsafe food results in reduced productivity, rising healthcare costs, economic losses, social challenges, and declining tourism and trade,” he said.

The prime minister said such credible and comprehensive analyses of the global burden of foodborne diseases help countries formulate evidence-based policies, allocate resources effectively and prioritise interventions aimed at protecting public health.

He stressed that addressing foodborne illnesses and malnutrition caused by unsafe food is a shared responsibility requiring collective action.

He said Pakistan is blessed with fertile land, hardworking farmers and vast agricultural potential; however, the sector faces challenges including limited research capacity, climate change, water scarcity, population growth and evolving food consumption patterns. The government, he added, is pursuing integrated and forward-looking strategies to address these issues.

He noted that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research is undertaking comprehensive measures to strengthen food security, enhance agricultural productivity and mitigate climate-related impacts through research and technology-driven interventions. These include provision of quality seeds, improved access to agricultural inputs, greater mechanisation, strengthening value chains, enhancing storage facilities and improving market systems.

The prime minister said research-based global experience in preventing foodborne diseases can be effectively utilised at the government level, while citizens can significantly reduce risks by following basic principles of food hygiene, safe handling, proper storage and cooking practices.

He concluded by urging renewed commitment to valuing and protecting food and natural resources so Pakistan can secure a safe, nutritious, sustainable and self-reliant food future for generations to come.