National Security Policy, Food Security, Traditional Livestock and Rural Economy
After the formulation of Pakistan’s first National Security Policy, its public part was released. Of course, the security of any state cannot be ensured without food security, which is why food security is also an important part of Pakistan’s National Security Policy 2022-26. It highlights the imporatnce of traditional livestock and rural economy. This column is written by Dr. Jassar Aftab
National Food Security Depends on Agriculture and Livestock
Agriculture in Pakistan is not only related to food supply but also plays a fundamental and important role in the country’s economy. Whenever there is talk of improving this sector, we immediately start cursing the farmer and his traditional system by putting forward the models of developed countries and giving examples of the West. Many decades have passed, the latest decisions for agriculture and livestock made by minds who hate rural life in cold and luxurious rooms could neither make Pakistan America or Europe nor bring any significant change.
Livestock, which is an important part of agriculture and the backbone of the rural economy, is always ignored or gets lost somewhere in the word agriculture. Even in the public version of the aforementioned National Security Policy, there is no direct mention of this sector.
لائیوسٹاک سرمایہ کاری، آرمی چیف کے نام خط
لائیوسٹاک سیکٹر اور تاریخی چار سال
Traditional Livestock Farming Is the Foundation of National Food Security
Whether a rural family has its own land or not, whether it is a small farmer or a big one, or whether it is associated with agricultural labor, it must have its own animal. If we talk about mountains and deserts away from fertile lands, here too livestock is the most important part of the food and economy of the people. It cannot be ignored by considering one or two animals per household, or five or ten animals, that its share in the livestock production system is more than ninety percent.
These crores of people who live their lives with a few animals per capita are not only supporting the rural economy but are also playing a very important and fundamental role in the national economy as well as National Food Security. Neither are these people much into calculations nor are they very interested in calculations. These animals are often part of these families and are cared for on the basis of a family-based system. These people are lost in their lives without having any desire for high-speed highways, high-rise cars, luxurious buildings, big shopping malls, food and clothing brands, modern hospitals and international standard schools. These animals are their total capital that supports them in every joy and sorrow.
Rural Livestock Economy Sustains Pakistan
This is the basic system of livestock that ensures the supply of meat and milk in Pakistan as a whole. On the other hand, these people also contribute to the supply of grains. Whatever the conditions in the country, whatever the economic situation of the country, these farmers are busy day and night in their own or other people’s fields.
Modernization Should Strengthen, Not Replace, Traditional Farming
Of course, large and medium-sized organized and modern farms related to livestock and agriculture are also important and they are also needed in their own place, but Pakistan’s traditional system related to agriculture and livestock is the basis of National Food Security. Its protection will be the protection of national food and its destruction in the name of innovation will destroy the food system as well as the country’s economy.
Then these same people will leave their simple life revolving around their animals and farms and look towards the cities and their desires will also revolve around high-speed highways, high-rise cars, luxurious buildings, big shopping malls, food and clothing brands, modern hospitals and international standard schools. Then these people who become the support of the state will start becoming a burden on the state.
Innovation Must Complement the Traditional Livestock System
Of course, the system of traditional people associated with the agriculture and livestock sector of Pakistan should be thought of to increase production through innovation and it should be planned in a phased manner, but the most important thing is that this traditional rural system should not be considered a liability and its importance should be realized. While living in their same system, they should be supported so that they can get maximum benefit from their own system and improve it over time and be attracted towards innovation.
National Food Security Depends on Farmers, Not Just Production Figures
They do not care whether the profit is less or more, they are absorbed in their work and are engaged in it considering this production system as part of their lives. The entire nation eats from their little production. This is not their business, this is their farming. With the change in the traditional farming system of Pakistan, their relationship with animals and land will remain as a business and then they will think about profit and loss in business.
Where the profit seems low and there is no personal commitment, no one can stop them from leaving this business. When they are forced to think that as much can be earned in one year by cutting this land as they can earn in twenty years by sowing, then surely instead of crops, residential colonies will grow on the land and we will be indebted to multinational companies for food.
Strengthening Service Delivery Is the Key to National Security Policy
There is only one solution and it is in the hands of the government. Attention will have to be paid to the livestock and agriculture departments and implementation will have to be ensured after planning according to the ground realities. The basic and most important of these departments is the basic service delivery system and the trust of farmers in it. Along with the provision of basic necessities, just make the service delivery system effective, stable and reliable, revolutionary changes will take place in ten years. This will strengthen the national economy along with National Food Security, which will certainly strengthen national security.
