PESHAWAR
The five-day Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security International Conference concluded here on Friday at Bara Gali Summer Camp.
The conference, organized by Agricultural University Peshawar, was focused on sustainable agriculture and food security in which researchers presented a number of proposals to combat the future challenges to the food system.
Speaking as the chief guest at the closing session, Professor Dr. Jahan Bakht, Vice-Chancellor University of Agriculture Peshawar said that universities should focus on food security challenges and suggestions of the moot should be shared with government and concerned authorities to chalk out a pragmatic future course of action to mitigate threats to our food system.
He said that unsustainable use of fresh water resources, frequent droughts, climate change, shrinking agricultural lands, floods, rising temperatures are those factors creating threats to the food security system, adding that if timely actions were not taken to address these challenges the world would face food shortage in near future.
Dr. Jahan Bakht also appreciated the organizers of the workshop and paid tributes to faculty members of the Agriculture University of Peshawar for providing opportunity to food experts to share their scholarly articles on the emerging issue of food security.
Describing the factors affecting sustainable agriculture and food security, he said that In order to meet food needs and increase crop production, attention should be paid to innovative methods, new crop varieties and technologies to cope with water scarcity and climate change.
On this occasion, Pro Vice Chancellor of Agriculture University Peshawar and Vice Chancellor of Agriculture University Swat Professor Dr. Dawood Jan, Director IBGE Professor Dr. Iqbal Munir, President of Agriculture University Teachers Association Dr. Bashir Ahmed, General Secretary Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed, Dr. Shakeel delivered lectures in the conference.
Agricultural University Teachers Association and conference chief organizer Dr. Bashir Ahmad presented the proposals presented in the conference and the action plan for the future.
He thanked Prof. Dr. Zafar Mehmood, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Science Foundation, Wateraid, Pastic, University of Peshawar Gill Food Industry, Aqua Wella and SK Food and Beverages for their cooperation.
International experts including Prof. Dr. Harun Yucek from Turkey, Prof. Dr. Kanan Sinan, Shigo Tekinka from Japan, Dr. Aqeel Ahmed from America participated in the conference through online video and gave lectures on sustainable agriculture and food security.
Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed, General Secretary of Agricultural Teachers Association thanked the participants and appreciated their cooperation.
Prof. Dr. Jahan Bakht along with Prof. Dr. Dawood and President Dr. Bashir Ahmad and Prof. Dr. Iqbal Munir distributed certificates of appreciation among the participants.
