FAO Flags Critical Gaps in Pakistan’s Nutritious Food Supply, Calls for Agrifood Overhaul
A new assessment by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has revealed alarming gaps in Pakistan’s food supply, warning that over 60 per cent of Pakistanis cannot afford a healthy diet. Dawn News
The report, published on 4 October 2026, found a significant mismatch between the food available in Pakistan and what is required to meet national dietary guidelines. Supply is critically short across vegetables, fruits, legumes, pulses, roots, and tubers, while staples and sugar are available in excess.
Pakistan faces a dual burden: persistent undernutrition in lower-income populations running alongside a rapid rise in diet-related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
The FAO is calling for a comprehensive overhaul of Pakistan’s agrifood system. Recommendations span both demand and supply: introducing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and high-salt foods, mandating front-of-pack nutrition labelling, restricting the marketing of unhealthy products to children, expanding school meal programmes, and redirecting agricultural subsidies toward vegetables, dairy, and pulses.
“Enabling access to healthy diets for all is essential to achieving Pakistan’s national development priorities,” the FAO stated. Read our previous article on Pakistan-related news here.
