Sustainable Growth:

Islamabad is currently discussing how to revive Pakistan’s agri-based economy. In the wake of a prolonged economic crisis caused by political instability and flooding, the South Asian country is looking for long-term sustainable solutions to get its economy back on track.

Although 37.4 percent of the Pakistani labor force is employed in the agricultural sector, this sector comprises only 22.9 percent of the country’s GDP. Fortunately, Pakistan contains vast expanses of fertile land where it could grow more crops. With the help of modern agri-developments, Pakistan could attain domestic food security while also contributing to the global food supply.

In launching the "Green Initiative," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the government and relevant state institutions would work together to launch a second agricultural revolution in the country.

Following the first Green Revolution of 1965, Pakistan saw a three-fold increase in grain output between 1967 and 1992. This agricultural growth was driven by the introduction of modern equipment such as tractors.

Through adopting scientific techniques, the Green Initiative could attract investments of up to 30 to 50 billion USD. Pakistan’s civil and military leaders also jointly established the Land Information and Management System-Centre of Excellence (LIMS-CoE) in order to reclaim 9 million hectares of uncultivated state land.

Along with the LIMS-CoE’s innovative land administration, the "Green Initiative" offers holistic solutions for Pakistani agriculture. According to an official statement, new state-of-the-art agricultural systems could optimize agricultural production through innovative technologies and sustainable precision agricultural practices based on the agro-ecological potential of the land. To achieve this objective, farmers would be provided with quality seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers and paid a fair share of the profits.

Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir recently launched the Khanewal Model Agricultural  Farm, a sustainable project that the army developed to benefit small-scale farmers. In the days ahead, similar projects will be set up across Pakistan.

Another transformative initiative is the U.S.-Pakistan Green Alliance framework, which addresses pressing environmental challenges such as water management, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is also helping Pakistan develop its agricultural sector by working with farmers and rural communities.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), global demand for food is projected to increase by 60 percent by 2050. The worsening effects of climate change, potential for extreme weather events, and unpredictability of global supply chains make food security a matter of national security for most countries in the region.

Last year, Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that more than 141 million people in the Arab world were exposed to food insecurity. Gulf countries currently import around 40 billion USD worth of food supplies from various regions. At the National Seminar on Agriculture and Food Security, Prime Minister Sharif indicated that GCC countries were ready to invest in the Green Pakistan Initiative. In fact, groundwork for the new initiative has already begun. Some Gulf countries have expressed willingness to make huge investments in the Pakistani agriculture sector and to provide modern machinery to boost production.

Under the LIMS-CoE mechanism, Pakistan could offer over 9 million hectares of uncultivated and easily-accessible farmland for GCC investment in both agriculture and livestock sectors. Moreover, investment will be easier under the recently launched Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

Pakistan has already collaborated in the agricultural sphere with the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and China. However, according to the U.S. Department of State’s  2023 Investment Climate Statement on Pakistan, foreign investors have asked for improved business facilitation.

The SIFC will do away with a lot of bureaucratic red tape, enabling Gulf investors to engage more directly and set up value addition features such as food processing and better synchronized food storages and supply chains.

According to a December 2022 report issued by the US Department of Agriculture’s Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN), Pakistani exporters sold 500,000 tons of rice to GCC states, but its wheat exports were negligible. In 2021, Pakistan exported only 1.63 million USD worth of vegetables to the UAE, even though Pakistan is the GCC’s closest source for food exports such as wheat and rice.

Even in the 1980s and 1990s, Pakistan was exporting food supplies to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, but Islamabad found it difficult to take the lead in this sector due to a lack of value additions such as packaging and labeling, as well as its lack of compliance with international food safety regulations as required by Gulf countries.

If Pakistan can achieve a higher agricultural yield and improve its marketing strategy, it will be able to meet domestic need while also increasing exports.

Islamabad is currently discussing how to revive Pakistan’s agri-based economy. In the wake of a prolonged economic crisis caused by political instability and flooding, the South Asian country is looking for long-term sustainable solutions to get its economy back on track.

Although 37.4 percent of the Pakistani labor force is employed in the agricultural sector, this sector comprises only 22.9 percent of the country’s GDP. Fortunately, Pakistan contains vast expanses of fertile land where it could grow more crops. With the help of modern agri-developments, Pakistan could attain domestic food security while also contributing to the global food supply.

In launching the "Green Initiative," Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the government and relevant state institutions would work together to launch a second agricultural revolution in the country.

Following the first Green Revolution of 1965, Pakistan saw a three-fold increase in grain output between 1967 and 1992. This agricultural growth was driven by the introduction of modern equipment such as tractors.

Through adopting scientific techniques, the Green Initiative could attract investments of up to 30 to 50 billion USD. Pakistan’s civil and military leaders also jointly established the Land Information and Management System-Centre of Excellence (LIMS-CoE) in order to reclaim 9 million hectares of uncultivated state land.

Along with the LIMS-CoE’s innovative land administration, the "Green Initiative" offers holistic solutions for Pakistani agriculture. According to an official statement, new state-of-the-art agricultural systems could optimize agricultural production through innovative technologies and sustainable precision agricultural practices based on the agro-ecological potential of the land. To achieve this objective, farmers would be provided with quality seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers and paid a fair share of the profits.

Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir recently launched the Khanewal Model Agricultural  Farm, a sustainable project that the army developed to benefit small-scale farmers. In the days ahead, similar projects will be set up across Pakistan.

Another transformative initiative is the U.S.-Pakistan Green Alliance framework, which addresses pressing environmental challenges such as water management, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is also helping Pakistan develop its agricultural sector by working with farmers and rural communities.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), global demand for food is projected to increase by 60 percent by 2050. The worsening effects of climate change, potential for extreme weather events, and unpredictability of global supply chains make food security a matter of national security for most countries in the region.

Last year, Kristalina Georgieva, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that more than 141 million people in the Arab world were exposed to food insecurity. Gulf countries currently import around 40 billion USD worth of food supplies from various regions. At the National Seminar on Agriculture and Food Security, Prime Minister Sharif indicated that GCC countries were ready to invest in the Green Pakistan Initiative. In fact, groundwork for the new initiative has already begun. Some Gulf countries have expressed willingness to make huge investments in the Pakistani agriculture sector and to provide modern machinery to boost production.

Under the LIMS-CoE mechanism, Pakistan could offer over 9 million hectares of uncultivated and easily-accessible farmland for GCC investment in both agriculture and livestock sectors. Moreover, investment will be easier under the recently launched Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

Pakistan has already collaborated in the agricultural sphere with the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and China. However, according to the U.S. Department of State’s  2023 Investment Climate Statement on Pakistan, foreign investors have asked for improved business facilitation.

The SIFC will do away with a lot of bureaucratic red tape, enabling Gulf investors to engage more directly and set up value addition features such as food processing and better synchronized food storages and supply chains.

According to a December 2022 report issued by the US Department of Agriculture’s Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN), Pakistani exporters sold 500,000 tons of rice to GCC states, but its wheat exports were negligible. In 2021, Pakistan exported only 1.63 million USD worth of vegetables to the UAE, even though Pakistan is the GCC’s closest source for food exports such as wheat and rice.

Even in the 1980s and 1990s, Pakistan was exporting food supplies to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, but Islamabad found it difficult to take the lead in this sector due to a lack of value additions such as packaging and labeling, as well as its lack of compliance with international food safety regulations as required by Gulf countries.

If Pakistan can achieve a higher agricultural yield and improve its marketing strategy, it will be able to meet domestic need while also increasing exports.