Food Legislation in South Asia and its Link with Food Security (A case study of Pakistan)

Legislation for a country like Pakistan, especially food related are very crucial, in the sense that large number of population mostly living inrural areas is still poor and this number is further increasing due to absence of long term planning to address the issue on sustainable basis. Agriculture is the main stay of Pakistan‘s economy which is not only a source of livelihoods for the about 70% of population living in rural areas, but also the nation is dependent on this sector for its food requirements. So under these circumstance, it is very important that provision of basic food items must be ensured on regular basis, in sufficient quantity, and at the right time, besides meeting the nutritional requirements for a health life. Despite the fact that Pakistan is self sufficient in the production of most of the staple food crops like wheat, rice, however, large number of population is still food insecure, mainly, together with price inflation, which are also affecting the prices of food items. The increase in the prices of food items has been noticed to be very significant both due to supply as well as demand side problems. This situation is further exacerbated especially in times of natural disasters. As an example, during floods 2010, about 20 million of people were affected, besides loss of standing crops on larger area, affecting food stability, by disturbing the smooth supply of staple food items throughout the year.