Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Food System Transformation Secretariat PFSTS, housed at the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, convened a high-level stakeholder dialogue titled “From Policy to Practice – Advancing Integrated Climate, Nutrition and Food Security Action in Pakistan” at IFQ, Islamabad
The dialogue brought together senior representatives from government ministries, development partners, academia, and technical experts to promote coordinated and actionable approaches at the nexus of climate change, nutrition, and food security
Pakistan remains among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, facing recurrent floods, droughts, and extreme weather events that disrupt food systems and aggravate malnutrition
With average annual disaster-related losses estimated at USD 2 billion — 83 percent attributed to floods — participants stressed the urgency of integrated and resilient policy responses
Opening the session, Dr Ghulam Sadiq Afridi, Secretary PFSTS, emphasized the need to break policy silos and establish coordinated implementation mechanisms
He reaffirmed PFSTS’s commitment to aligning national food systems transformation efforts with climate resilience and improved nutrition outcomes
Farrah Naz, Country Director of GAIN Pakistan, underscored the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration and evidence-based dialogue to ensure that climate action translates into measurable nutrition and food security gains
The session also featured remarks from Tomoko Koto of the Asian Development Bank and a global overview of the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition I-CAN by Oliver Camp, highlighting the alignment of climate commitments with nutrition objectives
Faiz Rasool, Head of Policy and Advocacy at GAIN Pakistan, shared findings from the I-CAN Baseline Assessment, which revealed limited integration between national climate, nutrition, and food security policies
He noted that while policy frameworks exist, coordinated implementation, financing mechanisms, and accountability systems require strengthening
A high-level panel discussion explored practical pathways to enhance policy coherence, clarify institutional mandates, and mobilize innovative financing for climate-resilient nutrition interventions
Government representatives, including officials from the Green Balochistan Initiative and provincial Environmental Protection Agencies, reiterated their commitment to advancing integrated approaches at national and sub-national levels
The dialogue resulted in
•A shared understanding of implementation gaps affecting integrated climate-nutrition action
•Recommendations for innovative financing mechanisms
•Identification of priority actions under I-CAN
•Clearer articulation of cross-sectoral roles and responsibilities
Through platforms such as I-CAN, Pakistan is moving toward coordinated, climate-resilient food systems aimed at improving nutrition and strengthening food security for vulnerable populations
