On Wednesday, 11^th February 2026, Dr. Zafar Hayat, a progressive farmer, delivered a Lecture on “Food Security in Pakistan” to the participants of the 39^th Senior Management Course (SMC) at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Lahore.

Dr. Hayat began by outlining the FAO definition of food security, which rests on physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. He explained the four dimensions of food security and highlighted the vicious cycle linking low productivity, hunger, malnutrition, poor cognitive development, and poverty. Referring to the Global Hunger Index 2025, he noted that Pakistan, with a score of 26, ranks 106^th out of 123 countries, with 22 percent of the population undernourished and 40 percent of children under five stunted.

Dr. Hayat analysed key drivers of food insecurity, including armed conflicts, climate shocks, trade disruptions, and economic fragility. He underscored Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change, citing the 2022 floods that caused USD 15 billion in losses and affected 33 million people. He also discussed the weakening monsoon patterns and heat waves that have reduced yields of cotton, rice. and corn.

On the policy front, he examined wheat procurement reforms, edible oil dependence, and the widening import gap in pulses. He stressed that Pakistan’s edible oil requirements are mostly met through imports, while local oilseed cultivation continues to decline. He concluded by advocating climate-smart agriculture, diversification of crops, institutional reforms, and investment in farmer support services to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and strengthen national food security.

The session ended with an interactive Q&A session.