The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has emphasized the urgent need to reform Pakistan’s agrifood system, pointing out significant deficiencies in the supply of vegetables, fruits, pulses, and other nutritious foods. These shortages are hindering progress toward improving access to healthy diets across the country.
More than 60 percent of Pakistan’s population currently cannot afford a healthy diet, contributing to widespread malnutrition and a rise in diet-related non-communicable diseases, a policy brief released in September 2026. The FAO noted that while Pakistan produces sufficient calories overall, there is a persistent imbalance between the food available and the amounts necessary for people to follow the country’s Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs).
The assessment reviewed annual food supply gaps and surpluses from 2010 to 2023 across ten food groups outlined in the national dietary guidelines. It revealed substantial and ongoing shortfalls in key nutritious food categories, especially vegetables, roots and tubers, fruits, and legumes and pulses.
Notably, the deficit in vegetable supply grew from an estimated 10.9-17.8 million tonnes in 2010 to 13.0-21.6 million tonnes in 2023. Similarly, the gap in fruit supply widened from 1.9-10.3 million tonnes to 3.9-14.3 million tonnes over the same period. In contrast, Pakistan consistently produced more cereals and grains than required, and sugar supply often exceeded recommended levels.
The supply of meat, poultry, and eggs saw a significant increase, shifting from minimal levels in 2010 to a surplus of approximately 2.5 million tonnes by 2023. Milk and dairy products remained below the estimated needs, though the gap narrowed over the years. Meanwhile, fats and oils moved from a slight shortfall in 2010 to meeting the estimated requirements in subsequent years.
In a significant development, the FAO stressed that ensuring sufficient food quantity alone is no longer adequate. It called for policies that enable equitable access to diverse, nutritious, safe, and affordable foods to support healthy diets. The agency urged coordinated fiscal and regulatory reforms, adjustments in production and trade priorities, enhanced food distribution systems, and initiatives to reduce post-harvest losses and food waste.
Among the recommended measures are updating the food-based dietary guidelines to incorporate nutrition, health, and environmental priorities, and using them to promote nutrition education and behavioral change. The FAO also proposed implementing evidence-based taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats, along with front-of-pack nutrition labeling to assist consumers in making healthier choices.
The agency further called for restrictions on marketing unhealthy foods, especially those targeting children, expansion of nutritious school meal programs, and strengthening social protection schemes to improve access to wholesome foods. Agricultural policies and investments should prioritize increasing production of vegetables, fruits, pulses, roots, and tubers, while supporting milk production in suitable regions.
Additionally, the FAO recommended providing greater incentives for food processors to meet safety and quality standards and reformulate products to reduce salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats. Investment in storage facilities, cold chains, and market infrastructure was highlighted as essential to minimizing food losses and enhancing the availability of nutritious foods.
The report also warned that Pakistan’s rapidly growing population would increase pressure on the agrifood system. The population rose from 189.3 million in 2010 to 235.2 million in 2023 and is projected to reach around 330 million by 2050. This growth, coupled with climate change and other challenges, makes it increasingly crucial to ensure food systems deliver adequate amounts of diverse, nutritious, safe, and affordable foods.
Previous UN analyses have similarly found that while Pakistan’s food system provides enough overall food energy, it falls short in supplying the variety of foods needed for healthy diets, particularly in fruits, vegetables, pulses, and legumes. The UN Resident Coordinator’s Office has also highlighted that over 60 percent of Pakistanis cannot afford a healthy diet, framing the challenge as one of access to diverse and nutritious foods rather than mere availability.
Transforming Pakistan’s agrifood system, the FAO concluded, could significantly improve access to healthy diets and help tackle malnutrition along with its related health, economic, and social consequences.
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