Spatial analysis of food and nutrition security in Pakistan: a holistic pathway towards zero hunger policies

Food and nutrition security is a foremost element of sustainable development policies. Food and nutrition security is critical to the development of human capital and economic well-being. This study used updated cross-sectional data from household integrated economic survey (HIES) 2018-19 to investigate the current situation of food and nutrition security in Pakistan. The findings show that 40.2% of households had food insecurity in daily caloric intake. The provincial analysis indicates that the province of Balochistan has 53.3% of households food insecure, followed by KP (49.5%), Sindh (43.9%), and Punjab (35.5%). A protein deficit was found in 44.6% of the entire population and common throughout all provinces. More than 55.9% of households do not consume a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Non-food indicators, including household size, gender, head age, employment, spending, livestock and social safety nets, are all essential components of food security. Strong development strategies at the regional and community levels are required to accomplish the country's cherished aim of zero hunger, particularly in the most disadvantaged and marginalized areas. An inclusive growth policy that involves all segments and sections of the population, with a particular emphasis on agriculture, trade, livestock and income-generating activities is needed to achieve this goal.