Experts at a seminar held in connection with World Food Day on Monday said that heavy migration from rural to urban areas, ever-increasing population, and conversion of agriculture land into residential colonies are posing a threat of food security.

Experts at a seminar held in connection with World Food Day on Monday said that heavy migration from rural to urban areas, ever-increasing population, and conversion of agriculture land into residential colonies are posing a threat of food security. The session was arranged by the Faculty of Food, Nutrition and Home Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and was chaired by UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Zafar while faculty Dean Dr Masood Sadiq Butt and other notables also spoke on the occasion. The Vice Chancellor said that rural development, provision of modern facilities at rural areas, and to make agriculture sector a profitable business will help address the issue of heavy migration. He said that heavy migration from rural areas to cities was not only increasing burden on urban settlements but also causing a negative impact on agriculture sector. He said that that malnutrition was the area of the grave concern that as being abundant in the food, the country 50 percent was malnourished. He said that there is a need to create the awareness about balanced usage of food. He said that simplicity in the food habits would help improve the situation. He said that junk food had become common in people which isd not good for health. He said that country population was increasing rapidly. He said that the population of country had touched to more than 200 million people that was just 35 million at the time of inception of country. He said: the threat of food insecurity cannot be mitigated only by a variable increase in the production of food alone, but by efforts to improve access to food sources and to make it affordable to the people. He said there were 244 million international migrants in 2015 across the world. It means 40 percent more than in 2000. He said people who move within national borders were estimated at 763 million in 2013. Dean Faculty of Food, Nutrition and Home Sciences Prof Dr Masood Sadiq Butt said 50 percent of women and children are malnourished. He said malnourished in Pakistan leads to stunted growth 43 percent and underweight 31 percent under the children aged five year old. He said that deficiencies are of iron ( 32.7 percent), Vitamin (30 percent), and zinc (40 percent). He said that country was nutrient deficient country. We are having the enough food but the affordability was the main issue. He also said that the food diversity was essential for mitigating the issue of malnutrition. He said that the UAF has kicked off a BS programme in Human Nutrition and Dietetics to produce the skilled manpower. Dr Nuzhat Huma said the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. Each year it is celebrated by more than 150 countries worldwide Nasim Ijaz from Rafhan and Dr Muhammad Suhail from Punjab Food Authority also spoke on the occasion