WWF-Pakistan, in cooperation with the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), HELVETAS Swiss Inter-cooperation and Mars Food/Rice Partners Ltd, convened the first sustainable rice platform national stakeholder dialogue and workshop in Islamabad, bringing together high-level stakeholders across the spectrum to foster sustainable rice growing. The objectives of the one-day workshop was to highlight sustainability challenges in the country’s rice sector at both, field and policy levels and to develop a collaborative multi-stakeholder action plan which includes an institutional framework for all stakeholders to incentivise adoption of sustainable best practice among rice smallholders.
The workshop was attended by Minister of State for Information Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb, Secretary of Agriculture Muhammad Abid Javed, Ministry of National Food Security and Research Saeed Ahmad Mangnejo, Secretary of Agriculture Government of Sindh James Lomax, Chairman Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) Muhammad Mahmood, Secretary of Agriculture Government of Punjab Muhammad Irfan Tariq, Director General (Environment) Ministry of Climate Change Imitiaz Ali Gopang, National Food Commissioners Dr Syed Waseem ul Haque and Director Trade Development Authority Pakistan Khalid Rasool along with academicians and experts from various universities of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Director General WWF-Pakistan Hammad Naqi Khan said, “The time is ripe for us to adopt sustainable practices in the rice sector like increased organic production, efficient use of water and tilling less which could help offset climate-induced losses.
“Today I feel proud to say that I’ve remained a part of WWF-Pakistan and without any bias I admit the organisation is working hard towards achieving a smart and sustainable agricultural policy, the dividends of which we shall reap in years to come,” Minister of State for Information Broadcasting and National Heritage Marriyum Aurangzeb said.
The panel discussions focused on how alternative methods for growing rice should both, be commercially and economically viable. The need for galvanizing an important and rapidly growing demand in the marketplace for sustainable produced products was also discussed.
