Presented a Webinar on 28th June, 2019 Emergency Preparedness: Emergency Response Planning, from the platform of National Humanitarian Network (NHN) Pakistan.
Link: https://nhnpakistan.adobeconnect.com/emergency-response-planning/
Monday, July 1, 2019
Sunday, March 31, 2019
National Food & Nutritional Security, and Research Policies: Challenges, Options and Way Forward
Dr. Pirzada delivered a talk on "National Food & Nutritional Security, and Research Policies: Challenges, Options and Way Forward' at Akhtar Hameed Khan National Centre for Rural Development ( http://www.ncrd.gov.pk/ ) on 21st March, 2019. A cross section of participants from public & private sectors, academia and CSOs attend the seminar.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Agricultural Value Chain Analysis and Development
Dr. Pirzada made a presentation on Agricultural Value Chain Analysis & Development in the Agricultural Development Planning Workshop held at Barani Agricultural Research Institute,Chakwal,Punjab, Pakistan from March 30th to 2nd April,2017. Planning theme was realizing a paradigm shift from traditional to SMART agriculture.
The proceeding of the Planning Session have now been published by Agricultural Department of Government of Punjab.The proceedings carry Dr. Pirzada's presentation on its pages 70-75.
The proceeding of the Planning Session have now been published by Agricultural Department of Government of Punjab.The proceedings carry Dr. Pirzada's presentation on its pages 70-75.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Health & Healing and Conservation of of Wildlife
Dr.Pirzada advised Bahria Town Pakistan on Zoo Medicine (Health &Healing of Wildlife in Captivity)& Sustainable Zoo Development (Conservation,Welfare & Habitat Development) from August 2016- January 2017.
MHVA Agriculture & Food Security in 5 Didtricts of Southern Punjab,Pakistan.
Dr.Pirzada led sectoral Multihazard Vulnerability Assessment (MHVA)study on Agriculture & Food Security in 5 districts of Southern Punjab, conducted under aegis of National Disaster Management Authority in 2016.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Chief Executive Officer Roots Pakistan- a grass root development action (www.rootspakistan.org) presents paper in the Regional Moot in Khatmadu,Nepal(26-27th August,2015)
Dr. Wajid Pirzada Chief Executive Director Roots Pakistan- a grass root development action (www.rootspakistan.org) and Executive Director SAFWCO Foundation (www.safwco.org, www.safwcofoundation.org) presented his paper in the Regional Consultation on Conservation, Use and Exchange of Plant Genetic Resources for Food Security and Natural Disasters & Climate Change (CC) Resilience in South Asia,organised by SAWTEE(www.sawtee.org) Nepal in partnership with FNI(www.fni.no) Norway.
Dr. Pirzada in his presentation highlighted the need for conservation of biodiversity and Iintellectual Property Management (IPRs) for life forms for just and equitable sharing of PGRs.For more details visit www.sawtee.org
Dr. Pirzada in his presentation highlighted the need for conservation of biodiversity and Iintellectual Property Management (IPRs) for life forms for just and equitable sharing of PGRs.For more details visit www.sawtee.org
Monday, May 18, 2015
Link to Pre-budget Seminar
http://www.rootspakistan.org/index.php/e-library/news-clipping/summary-of-presentation-on-agriculture-sector-by-dr-wajid-pirzada
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Pre-Budget (2015-16) Seminar at Institute of Policy Studies Islamabad May 14, 2015 Summary of Presentation on Agriculture Sector by Dr. Wajid Pirzada CEO Roots Pakistan (www.rootspakistan.org )
While speaking as Guest speaker at Institute of Policy studies-IPS
(http://www.ips.org.pk/) Islamabad in Pre-Budget
seminar Dr.Pirzada Observed:
‘Agriculture sector
in Pakistan, like in most of the other developing countries in the region, has
had mixed performance over years since
creation of Pakistan. Public sector agricultural policies primarily focused on
self-sufficiency regime; and so called Green Revolutions era helped many
national governments, including Pakistan, to meet this policy object at least
in the short run.
Policy Deficit:
Given the shortcomings of Green Revolution model-, especially
resulting over-mining due to input intensification of natural resource base, at
first place sustainability of self-sufficiency paradigm is at stake. Further,
the policy context has entirely changed and the self-sufficiency paradigm has
become irrelevant in the context of multilateral trading regime pursuing freer
trade.
Challenges:
The challenges posed by
growing number of more mouths to feed , growing urbanization, freer trade under
multilateral trading system, climate change(CC) and unsustainable production
& consumption; coupled with gradual realization of paradigm shift from agriculture through
industry to services, is bound to impact
negatively on agricultural contribution
to GDP, sectoral employment capacity and
agricultural profitability & food/nutrition security.
The estate sector expansion and debilitating land and water
resources available for agriculture sector along with unsustainability of production
can further compromise the development of agriculture on commercial scale.
Way-Forward:
To help arrest this
likely trend, Pakistan needs to come out of both self-sufficiency & primary
commodity production paradigm. To this end, provincial governments after 18th
Constitutional Amendment in support from Federal Government have to make serious and concerted efforts to
develop value-added agriculture sector, by mainstreaming value-chain management
across all subsectors of agriculture, strictly adhering to and complying with international
standards regime e.g. GAP, food safety & environmental standards, and
investing in farm research to augment per unit productivity through innovative agricultural
technologies & production. Investing in green skills & cleaner
agricultural technologies will help smoothen Pakistan’s agricultural
development, on sustainable lines and in keeping with Green Economy
requirements.
Alongside credit access, rural based agro-based industrial
& services development will help arrest urbanization and generate
additional employment opportunities for youth in rural Pakistan.
Finally targeted subsidies-to source inputs- fertilizer,
electricity & water, for small & landless farmers; and compensatory
policies like crop/livestock insurance needs to be introduced.
Recommendations:
i.
Investment in value chain management: Duty free import of Equipment e.g.
for Fruit/ Mango pulp production and chillers for dairy sector
ii.
Investment in SPS quality infrastructure- border control of diseases, food safety
& veterinary public health
iii.
Establishment of Early Warning Systems for disasters & CC Mitigation-
Famine/drought, flooding and CC observatory in the country
iv.
Institutionalization of compensatory policies such as crop/livestock insurance and targeted
subsidies for resource poor farmers
v.
Investment in innovative & problem solving research driven towards
development goals’
While
responding to the presentation made by fellow panelist Dr. Pirzada demanded for provision of social pension, if not universal at least means-tested’
for the elderly in Pakistan in the Finance Bill 2015-16.
Thursday, November 27, 2014
People SAARC 2014
Dr.Pirzada as Executive Director SAFWCO Foundation (www.safwcofoundation.org) hosted event # 64 on November 24,2014 in the People SAARC on the occasion of SAARC Summit 2014 in Kathmandu,Nepal.He launched his recent study on role of Community Physical Infrastructure (CPI) towards poverty alleviation; and also made presentation on the subject along with a presentation on Right to Food (Rtf)-based planning & development towards amelioration of food insecurity & hunger and poverty alleviation.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Interview by IRM - Dr. Wajid Pirzada on Environment-Climate Change-Food Security
Link to the Institute of Rural Management's (IRM) Newsletter:
Friday, February 28, 2014
Delivered a talk at National Institute of Management (NIM),National Policy Institute-Former Pakistan Administrative Staff College,Lahore on February 25,2014 on WTO Regime on Agriculture,and Pakistan's access to GSP-Plus
Pakistan Administrative Staff College (Now National Policy Institute/National Institute of Management) Lahore is mandated for contuning professional development of civil servants.
As a visiting faculty since 2000 at NIM/NPI, delivered a talk to trainee civil servants on WTO Agreement on Agriculture; and Pakistan's access to GSP Plus.
As a visiting faculty since 2000 at NIM/NPI, delivered a talk to trainee civil servants on WTO Agreement on Agriculture; and Pakistan's access to GSP Plus.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Human interface in supervision; and Market Assessments in humanitarian response & development
Attended this month two trainings, one on human interface in supervision-the psycho-social aspects of relations between the supervisor and supervisee; and market assessments in humanitarian response in emergencies & development.Both workshops were faciltated by international experts.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
'Result-oriented policies needed to boost agriculture sector'
September 04, 2013
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Speakers at a consultation moot called for devising result-oriented policies to boost agriculture sector and ensure food security in the country. Addressing National Consultation organised by Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE) in collaboration with Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition (AAHM) National Chapter Pakistan, Oxfam Novib Pakistan and Oxfam-GROW here on Tuesday, Tanveer Arif, Chief Executive, SCOPE elaborated that AAHM, which is a global network of intergovernmental organisations and civil society, formed as a follow up of World Food Summit in 2005.He said that AAHM Pakistan has developed advocacy strategy which aims at supporting government initiatives of National Food Security and Nutrition Policy and Zero Hunger Programme.
"Pakistan is far behind in reaching Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which is a global target to be achieved by 2015. Agriculture and food security development is very low in view of MDGs. Pakistan has 52 percent food insecure people. FATA tops in food insecurity, Balochistan is at second, Sindh at third and Punjab at fourth number," said Amjad Nazeer, a consultant and agriculture expert.
He said that due to poverty and unemployment, people are migrating to urban areas from rural areas. He said that right to food for people is incorporated in the Constitution and the government is duty bound to it. Hence agro-industrial and agriculture polices should be devised by incorporating public views and demands so as to overcome food insecurity and bolster agriculture sector.
President Bhandar Sangat Taj Marri said that the use of machinery is putting burden on economic position of farmers as they get a meager profit from the crop production as compared to the farming without machinery. He said the government and landlords are depriving farmers of their due rights. Corporate farming is harmful for farmers and food security.
"The corporate farming has also been started in Matiary, Thatta and Nawabshah, Mirpurkhas districts of Sindh, which needs to be stopped. He said that people of rural areas are migrating to cities due to poverty and unemployment. There is need to make hectic efforts to overcome poverty and food security issues in the country through joint efforts by civil society, Marri said.
Ali Raza Jamali, Director Agriculture Extension, Government of Balochistan, said that due to blockage of Right Bank Outfall Drain, agriculture land and cultivation in three districts of Balochistan has completely ruined in last three consecutive years that include Jafferabad, Naseerabad and Jhal Magsi. Aftab Alam Khan, International Co-ordinator ActionAid -Food /Livestock said that there is need to change crop production policies to ensure food security and benefit to farmers.
M Ijaz Hussain, Programme Manager, Sahil Development Organisation, said that Pakistan faces grain shortage despite sufficient wheat production and being seventh largest wheat producing country. He said that there is lack of facilities to the farmers as procurement cost is not being paid to them. There is also need to improve supply chain management.
Dr Wajid Pirzada, representative of UN/WFP, said that we should know the reasons behind the vulnerability of food security and conduct research. Informed policy should be devised to raise awareness among farmers about agriculture issues, so that they could be resolved amicably. He said that rural areas of Sindh are food insecure while Punjab is also victim of it despite having fertile land. Pakistan is also facing climate change challenge, which needs to be tackled in right way, he added.
Jamal Mustafa Shoro, an agriculture expert, said that feudal have become stronger as a result farmers are being affected. The input cost of farming has rising alarmingly which has put heavy burden on the farmers. He said that farmers need incentives to make their life out of trouble.-PR
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