SDG 2 – Zero hunger

• Target 2.1 – By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.
  • Indicator 2.1.1 – Prevalence of undernourishment
• Target 2.2 – By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
  • Indicator 2.2.2 – Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)

SDG 8 – Decent work and economic growth

• Target 8.2 – Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors.
  • Indicator 8.2.1 – Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person

Biofortification is being used to help address a malnutrition problem that costs Pakistan nearly US$3 billion in GDP annually. A key contributing factor is that more than 60 million people in Pakistan have inadequate daily zinc intake. This includes 18 percent of Pakistani children, which has implications for growth and mental development. Zinc deficiency also affects 37 percent of pregnant women in Pakistan despite its importance to reproductive health (UNICEF 2020).

Pakistan is also one of the leading wheat-consuming countries in the world, with average daily per-capita consumption of 240 grams of wheat. Overall, wheat flour contributes 72 percent of Pakistanis’ daily caloric intake, which would make wheat a prime vehicle to tackle zinc deficiency.

HarvestPlus, part of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), partnered with the Wheat Research Institute at the Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad—the primary agricultural research center of the Government of Punjab—and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) to develop biofortified zinc wheat varieties in Pakistan. The Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, the national agricultural research system, was responsible for local testing and research.

HarvestPlus works closely with government stakeholders to facilitate policies and reforms to support scaling and investment in biofortification. Its partnerships with federal and provincial governments and timely and consistent evidence-based policy engagement paired with the innovation-centered approach of the government have enabled the success of zinc wheat in Pakistan.

Scaling is a continuous process which will require commitment to reach a tipping point when zinc wheat is the market leader in seed, grain, and food markets.

• Integrate zinc wheat into government policies. Mandate minimum zinc breeding levels and seed quality; agricultural support policies that favor zinc-enriched wheat; incorporation of zinc wheat grain in public procurement; food fortification guidelines should include biofortification alongside industrial fortification.
• Continue ensuring quality early generation seed production. Work with government regulators to ensure efficient production and seed quality, facilitated by digital and technological systems.
• Provide options in the seed market with high quality end-use attributes including pest resistance, competitive yield, and profitability, creating a positive value proposition for seed businesses to sell the product.
• Use appropriate incentive mechanisms to ensure reliable quality seed production and farmer adoption. Incentives can be financial subsidies, but showing commercial demand from businesses and consumers is more powerful to demonstrate market demand.
• Ensure a continued pipeline of new seed innovation. Investment in R&D, including ongoing adaptation to pests, disease, climate pressures, and food industry desired trait qualities.
• Ensure farmer (customer) satisfaction with the product to drive repeat purchase and collect feedback and farmer testimonials to use for advertising and promotion of seeds.
• Ensure the grain from the seed produces quality product for home consumption and the market. The flour is accepted and preferred by the major food processing industries.

Pro-poor access to agricultural inputs, technology and knowledge

Pakistan:

Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad (AARI)

National Agricultural Research Center, Islamabad (NARC)

Nutritious AgriFuture (NAF)

International:

HarvestPlus

International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT)

Summary: Multi-level governance involving international partners and the national agricultural research system.

Description:

HarvestPlus, in collaboration with public and private sector partners, facilitated the rapid scaling-up of this zinc-enriched wheat variety.

In Pakistan, the government has close ties to agricultural research and was critical in early scaling by purchasing seed for field trials. HarvestPlus also worked to secure government endorsement and support in policy documents, which was critical to fuel supply and ignite demand for further scaling (e.g., incorporation of zinc wheat grain in public procurement).

HarvestPlus advocacy efforts culminated in the integration of biofortified zinc-enriched wheat varieties into Punjab’s annual wheat production plan.

The journey of Akbar 2019—an improved biofortified zinc wheat variety—commenced in 2019 with its identification through the HarvestPlus micronutrient testing program and strategic investments in Early Generation Seed (EGS) production. A decade-long partnership with the Wheat Research Institute at Ayub Agriculture Research Institute, Faisalabad, underpinned the development and scaling of Akbar 2019.

Through collaboration with seed companies and engagement with farmers, Akbar 2019 gained traction across the agricultural landscape.

HarvestPlus embarked on capacity-strengthening initiatives to enhance the production and distribution of certified zinc-enriched wheat seed. Over 120 seed companies partnered with HarvestPlus, facilitating widespread adoption of Akbar 2019 and ensuring access to certified seed, even in the aftermath of natural disasters like the 2022 floods.

Leveraging partnerships with Precision Development, followed by regular digital media campaigns, HarvestPlus reached millions of farmers and rural communities, fostering awareness and uptake of zinc-enriched wheat varieties. Collaborative efforts, including journalist training programs, value chain actors’ seminars, farmer field days, and demo plots, amplified the reach and impact of demand creation initiatives.

The Punjab government recently included Akbar 2019 in its annual seed subsidy program, which offers the zinc-enriched seeds at a subsidized cost for farmers. Biofortification was also included in key national policy documents, the Multisectoral Nutrition Strategy (2018-2025) and Pakistan Vision 2025.

In 2024, Pakistan has made a groundbreaking achievement in agricultural development by harvesting a record 15 million metric tons of biofortified, zinc-enriched wheat (nearly 50 percent of total annual wheat production in Pakistan). Less than a decade since scaling work began, this breakthrough crop is now widely available in markets across the country and poised to tackle the widespread zinc deficiency affecting millions of Pakistanis, particularly women and children.

Coverage rate (Wheat cropping area cultivated):

• Around 175,000 metric tons of seed produced by the formal seed sector of the zinc-enriched wheat variety Akbar 2019 was planted during the 2023-24 cropping season in addition to farm saved seed.

• The Akbar 2019 biofortified wheat variety was planted on about 42 percent of total wheat area in Pakistan in the 2023-24 season.

Number of people eating zinc wheat food:

• >97 million people (around 40% of population according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics 2023 Census)

In 2015, when the scaling process began, the average cost to reach one grower was USD 6.61; by 2020, that cost had fallen to USD 0.05. (HarvestPlus)

HarvestPlus conducts annual surveys with farmers and wheat value chain actors to take stock of progress and validate results. The results are used to take corrective actions where needed.

https://www.harvestplus.org/countries/pakistan/