ISLAMABAD: The food system of Pakistan is producing enough calories, but not enough healthy, nutritious and diverse foods, findings of United Nations claimed on Tuesday.
The analysis led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations further claimed deep structural imbalances in food availability that undermine nutrition, public health, and long-term development outcomes.
Results of the analysis were presented at the National Results Dissemination Workshop on the Integrated Roadmap for Sustainable Food Systems Transformation in Pakistan.
The FAO-led analysis was carried out in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator, the national food security and research ministry, and UN partners WFP, Unicef, IFAD and WHO.
Strategic reallocation of subsidies by government urged to boost production, accessibility of nutrient-rich foods
The analysis said while Pakistan’s overall food energy availability is adequate, the national food supply falls short of what is needed to support healthy diets in line with the National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines of 2018.
Significant gaps persist in the availability of key food groups, including fruits and vegetables, pulses and legumes. These shortages directly weaken efforts to address malnutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and diet-related diseases.
The food system of the country is characterised by a substantial oversupply of cereals and grains, sugar, and edible oils, far exceeding levels recommended for healthy diets. This imbalance reinforces cereal-heavy consumption patterns, limits dietary diversity, and contributes to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the analysis shows.
Grains and cereals dominate food consumption, across rural and urban areas alike, with particularly high reliance in rural households. While this ensures calorie intake, it comes at the cost of diet quality. Milk and milk products are the second most consumed food group nationally.
Urban and national averages are similar; rural consumption is slightly lower. Consumption of vegetables remains moderate, but fruit intake is consistently low, especially in rural areas signalling widespread micronutrient gaps. Protein sources beyond dairy remain limited. Consumption of meat, poultry, and eggs remains low overall and is especially limited in rural areas. Consumption of pulses remains insufficient to compensate for low animal-source foods.
The analysis highlights concerning trends in sweets and snacks consumption. Rural households consume more free sugar and fats than urban households, reflecting reliance on inexpensive, energy-dense foods. Provincial differences are stark, with particularly high sugar consumption observed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Complementary market data show that sales volumes of processed foods in Pakistan have nearly doubled in recent years, pointing to rapid dietary shifts with serious public health implications.
These dietary patterns are contributing to Pakistan’s double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with rising obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
According to national and international estimates from various data sources, diabetes affects 34.5 million people in Pakistan, including one in three adults. NCDs now account for 58 per cent of all deaths nationwide. Cardiovascular disease alone claims nearly 400,000 lives annually.
Experts warn that without decisive action to improve food system, these trends will continue to place immense strain on health systems and economic productivity.
In its recommendations, the analysis emphasised the need for targeted government incentives and a strategic reallocation of subsidies to boost the production, affordability, and accessibility of nutrient-rich foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, and pulses to promote healthier diets across the country.
It urged the government to consider increasing taxes on sugar and sugary beverages and confectionery, with revenues reinvested in nutrition and healthy food programmes, and offer tax incentives or preferential procurement for companies that meet sugar reduction targets.
Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2026
