ISLAMABAD: World population, poverty and wastage of agricultural products have touched alarming proportions which require joint action by world community, a business leader said Sunday. Thirty-three percent of the world’s four billion tonnes of agricultural production never makes it to plate because of weakness of infrastructure, storage facilities, distribution system etc., said Mian Shahid, Chairman of the United International Group.
Talking to Samina Fazil, founder President, Islamabad Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI), he said that wastage of 1.5 billion tonnes of agricultural products worth 750 billion dollars also spoil all the efforts including urea, seeds, labour and 550 billion cubic feet of water.
He said that on average American and European consumers through half of the food in waste bin without using it while around one billion people in developing world are underfed. US population wastes 40 percent of the food worth 165 billion in one year while 21 million tonnes of wheat which is equal to total production of Australia is wasted.
In Pakistan 3.2 million tonnes of wheat or 16 percent of the production is wasted which has left half of the population food insecure. He said that Pakistan’s population will surpass 220 million in few years out of which 50 percent would be living in urban areas while majority would be 24 years old or below in the next 15 years which will create problems if they remain malnourished.
The world’s population will grow by three billion people by the end of this century which can be only tackled if all the world unites and stop wastage of agricultural products and food.
INP
