By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Thursday said a paradigm shift in approach of the nations was needed to rise above mutual conflicts and instead save mankind by addressing the challenges of hunger and food security.
Addressing at the launch of collaboration between COMSTECH (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation) and UK-Pakistan academic network Sawie, he said amid the problems of growing population and climate change, the world needed to “rethink and lessen its footprint on global resources”.
The event held in connection with the World Food Day themed ‘Our actions, our future’ here at the COMSTECH gathered ambassadors of nine Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states, scientists and agriculturists. President Alvi said besides defence and security, the phenomenon of food security had become increasingly significant.
“How can the nations spend billions of dollars on wars amid the looming threat of hunger,” he said, adding that a sustainable food system and water conservation were important in this regard.
