2. Pakistan:Productionof5-a-day
Introduction
This report introduces an innovative and knowledge-based program directed
at food consumption and production in Pakistan. Stage 1 focuses on
consumption of food in light of their nutritional value.
A deficiency or an excess of nutrients and fats to maintain a healthy body
weight and lifestyle is described as malnourishment. Figure 1 demonstrates
both states are prevalent in Pakistan. However, a significant proportion of
children under the age of 5 are underweight or stunting. Therefore, with
regards to this program, malnourishment is described as a state where an
individual’s daily intake of food does not meet the recommended nutritional
value. According to the UN, 24% of Pakistan’s population is undernourished.
Malnourishment in Pakistan is predominantly associated with low levels of
income and socio-economic deprivation. The main causative factors include
not only the intake of foods with low nutritional value but also low
consumption of food items due to scarce availability and affordability.
Another factor behind malnourishment is education levels; particularly of
expectant mothers and the female head of households. The Agha Khan
National Nutritional Survey’s (2011) findings also acknowledge a lack of
understanding amongst respondents about the nutritional composition of food
items. This is despite high levels of food production of exceptional nutritional
value, particularly in the Highlands of Northern Balochistan. Therefore, Stage 1
of the program will be piloted in Balochistan. It allows access and availability of
food to not be a limiting factor for recommended nourishment reaching the
Pakistani population. The target beneficiaries for this program are expectant
and lactating mothers. We intend the program to be rolled out via the Benazir
Bhutto Lady Health Workers program introduced by the Government of
Pakistan. Its exceptional network of 96,000 workers and another 14,000
enrolled to be trained (WHO, 2008) is ideal for a country-wide reach.
GCSED
Mission
The mission of GCSED (Global Cooperation for Social and Economic
Development) is to meet its 2015 and 2020 objectives to reduce social and
economic inequalities affecting the populations of developing countries.
About us
GCSED is a 'Think Tank' structured, privately self-financed, international
development organisation. We have no shareholders, pay no dividends, and
are legally mandated to cover only our operating costs. Our remaining funds
are spent on improving the socio-economic standards in developing countries
across a range of ways that empower them to increase their ability to be
financially and resource selfsufficient. We are able to help developing
countries reduce social and economic inequalities by producing social and
economic development programs, and also by providing companies and
governments with assistance in;
Understanding how governments can be a part of creating
sustainable socio-economic development.
Navigating risks faced by those doing business in developing
countries by understanding the social and economic environments
the operate in.
Advice on how to access capital and financial market instruments
for development that can be linked to socio-economic poverty
reduction programs.
Where Do We Work
Everywhere we are needed, but for
the most part, our focus is in coun-
tries across Asian and African Con-
tinents.
What Do We Stand For
Global Cooperation for Social and
Economic Development.
Specialties
Social and Economic Development,
Socio-economic and Geo-Political
Analysis, Poverty Reduction, Devel-
oping Country Skills Development
Figure 1: Malnutrition statistics for children
under the age of 5 (WHO)
Figure 2: Female education levels, expectant
mothers, housewives and mothers to be (WHO)
3. Pakistan:Productionof5-a-day
Summary
The average household income for Pakistan is identified as 2.5 dollars/ day
making a proportion of the population living above the breadline identified
by the UN as extreme poverty. It can be inferred that if populations are
weaned off food aid and directed towards recognising the benefits of food
items that are readily available or locally grown is a sustainable, long term
solution for malnourishment. This program introduces a Five Food Items
basket, selected based on their nutritional value, and targeting expectant
mothers. An additional factor considered, is the availability of food items
determined by production statistics as demonstrated in table 1. Details on
the production of raisins is available in the Appendix. The program would
also ensure livelihoods of local growers are secured, as well as rendering
retailers less prone to economic shock from unstable import prices.
5-a-day current consumption
Apricots, carrots, cherries,
dates & grapes
Current daily consumption
levels of fruit & veg alarmingly
low
The 5 chosen fruit and vegetables a day are apricots, carrots, cherries, dates
and grapes. Not only are these fruits locally grown and plentiful in the
Highland regions of Balochistan, their consumption would also rejuvenate
the local economy. Table 2 represents the annual consumption* of the 5-a-
day chosen for Pakistan. This has been derived from the production, import,
export data also displayed in table 2.
The consumption of apricots in 2010 was 198,455 tonnes. According to the
World Bank the total population of Pakistan in 2010 was 173,593,383.
Through these figures we can conclude that the annual per capita
consumption of apricots was 1.14 kg. A similar approach can be taken for
each of five foods identified by GCSED. The average daily consumption
calculated for each of the 5-a-day food types, assuming 100% distribution,
are presented in the table 3.
The recommended intake levels of chosen 5-a-day are displayed in table 4.
Food Type
Production in
Pakistan, tonnes
(2010)
Apricots 200,300im
Carrots and Turnips 219,339
Cherries 2,000im
Dates 759,200im
Grapes 66,800im
Table 1; Food production (tonnes) of selected
food types. Source: fao.org where im = FAO
Food Type
Production,
tonnes
Import,
tonnes
Export,
tonnes
Diff (Import
- Export),
tonnes
Consumption
(Production +
Diff), tonnes
Apricots 200,300 137 1,982 -1,845 198,455
Carrots & Turnips 219,339 117 3 114 219,513
Cherries 2,000 3 - 3 2,003
Dates 759,200 4,545 114,944 -110,399 648,801
Grapes 66,800 24,406 235 24,171 90,971
Table 2: Production, Import and Export statistics for 5-a-day fruit
Source: http://comtrade.un.org/ data is presented annually
Food Type
Consumption,
tonnes
Consumption
per person, g
Daily
consumption
per person, g
Apricots 198,455 1,143 3
Carrots & Turnips 219,513 1,264 3
Cherries 2,003 11 0
Dates 648,801 3,737 10
Grapes 90,971 524 1
Raisins 8,689 50 0
*Consumption= (production + (import - export))
Food Portion Size
Apricots 105g 3 apricots.
(1 apricot weighs ~ 35g)
Dates 67.5 g 3 dates
(1 date weighs~ 22.5 g)
Carrots 120 g 2 carrots (1 carrot
weighs ~60 g
Cherries 140 g 1 portion
Raisins 30 g 1 portions
Table 4: Food items and portion sizes /day
identified by GCSED.
Table 3: Consumption per person, per day for 5-a- day food types in Balochistan
4. Pakistan:Productionof5-a-day
5-a-day– Current Consumption & Future Outlook
As demonstrated in the tables above, a deficit can be observed in the
consumption of fruits and vegetables and thus the correct nutritional and energy
levels are not being met. This program encourages an increase in consumption
of the proposed 5-a-day, creating a demand for such food items. This would
result in an increase in production, that can be met by the GOP and GCSED’s
rural skills development programs. To ensure affordability, other mechanisms
such as subsidising the costs of growing and purchasing the identified food items
can be introduced.
Optimal Nutritional Start in Life
GCSED identifies pregnant and lactating women to be the primary focus of this
program. This enables the unborn child to have a nutritionally stable beginning
and the perfect platform to develop healthily. The multiplier effect of this
approach ensures healthy eating habits will be passed down to children as well
as rest of the family.
The current nutritional levels gained from the consumption of the 5-a-day as a
percentage of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for a pregnant woman
are presented in table 5.
As shown in table 5, dates are highest in nutritional value. They provide 7.6% of
the total energy (Kcal) that is been identified as the RDA for a pregnant woman.
Raisins, on the other hand, provide 2.9% of the total iron required. A full
nutritional breakdown of these foods is in the Appendix.
Collectively, the 5-a-day provide 18.4%, 10.5%, 7.9%, 10.4% and 6.7% of the
RDA on energy, protein, calcium, iron and zinc respectively.
Along with the 5-a-day, another components of a balanced diet are an egg and a
pint of milk everyday. The average egg weighs 44g and the healthiest and least
energy-intensive method of preparing it is through boiling. Milk is high in
calcium, and easily available in Balochistan where at least half the population
breed and herd livestock for a living. The nutritional breakdown of eggs and milk
is presented in table 6.
Pregnant women focus unlocks
a healthier future .
5-a-day provide 18.4% of daily
energy requirement
Nutritional Value 5-a-day Egg Milk Total
Energy 18.7% 2.7% 13.1% 34.5%
Protein 10.9% 9.2% 28.2% 48.3%
Calcium 8.1% 1.7% 49.0% 58.8%
Iron 10.2% 1.9% 0.9% 13.0%
Zinc 7.1% 3.9% 11.9% 22.9%
Egg and milk are instrumental
in providing a balanced diet
Nutritional
Value
Apricots Dates Carrots Cherries Raisins Total
Energy 2.0% 7.6% 2.0% 3.5% 3.6% 18.7%
Protein 2.5% 2.8% 1.9% 2.4% 1.3% 10.9%
Calcium 1.1% 2.0% 3.0% 1.4% 0.6% 8.1%
Iron 1.5% 2.6% 1.3% 1.9% 2.9% 10.2%
Zinc 1.8% 1.6% 2.4% 0.8% 0.5% 7.1%
Table 5: Nutritional value of 5-a-day food as a % of RDA. For pregnant women
Table 6: Nutritional value for egg and milk and its impact on diet.
5. Pakistan:Productionof5-a-day
Optimal Nutritional Start in Life
Figure 1 represents the RDA for a pregnant woman (100%). It
demonstrates the change achieved in nutritional and energy
composition based on GCSED’s recommended 5-a-day food items. The
incorporation of an egg and a pint of milk a day, the energy level intake
almost doubles (from 18.7% to 34.5%). The level of protein and calcium
also rises significantly. Although the increase in iron levels is relatively
small, reaching only 13% of the RDA, it is a sizable difference in light of
the fact that 50% of children under the age of 5 are anaemic as reported
by the WHO. (no data exists on the iron intake of pregnant women).
Zinc intake tripled from 7.1% to 22.9% of the RDA.
The remaining proportion of nutrient intake will be met by the
introduction of main meals. GCSED encourages two meals per day and
at least one salad.
Conclusion
The GCSED Malnourishment Program for Pakistan introduces a ground-
breaking approach to food consumption in the country. It is in-tune with
societal norms and, upon discussion with farmers and food producers,
an element of seasonality for food choices can be introduced. Therefore,
the approach taken by GCSED is not only flexible and aware of ground
realities, it is participatory as well. This program has a strong gender-
focus and promotes female empowerment as it's main beneficiaries are
pregnant women. An awareness of nutritional values and change in
food consumption patterns feeds into a host of long-term, socio-
economic development benefits. It directly impacts the health of
mothers and children. This would decrease the burden on limited
healthcare facilities and reduce the healthcare expenditure of
households. Other indirect benefits are likely to emerge. In the
education sector, results would improve as healthy children would
perform better at school. The performance of the labour force would
also be enhanced as women would be making informed food choices for
the entire household. Finally, this program also avails pre-existing,
successful programs of the Government of Pakistan by proposing
dissemination of stage 1 via the Lady Health Workers.
2 main meals and a salad added
to achieve optimum diet
Figure 3: Effects of GCSED proposed foods on meeting the RDA of
nutrients pregnant women.
6. Pakistan:Productionof5-a-day
Appendix
Table of nutritional values for each food type
The percentage of RDA contribution for each food type on the table above is calculated using the following
portion sizes:
Raisins
The amount of raisins produced in Balochistan is unknown and the consumption estimate per person is
based on the net difference between how much is exported and how much is imported. Imported raisins
for the year 2008 for Pakistan are measured at 8,887 tonnes, while for the same year the exports were
198 tonnes.
Source:
http://data.mongabay.com/commodities/category/1-Production/2-Crops/561-Raisins/61-Import+Quantity/165-Pakistan
http://data.mongabay.com/commodities/category/1-Production/2-Crops/561-Raisins/91-Export+Quantity/165-Pakistan
The net difference of 8,689 tonnes reflects the minimum consumption levels for Pakistan. The types of
raisins available in Pakistan are monaka and kishmish. These require grapes with a ratio of 3:1 and
3.5 :1 respectively.
Source: Production and Marketing of Raisins in Balochistan, author Allah Wadhayo Jagirani
http://www.parc.gov.pk/data/ssd-database/SSDREPORT.ASP?TITLE=PRODUCTION%20AND%20MARKETING%20OF%20RAISINS%
20IN%20BALOCHISTAN
Nutritional Value Apricots Dates Carrots Cherries Raisins Egg Milk Total
Energy 2.0% 7.6% 2.0% 3.5% 3.6% 2.7% 13.1% 34.5%
Protein 2.5% 2.8% 1.9% 2.4% 1.3% 9.2% 28.2% 48.2%
Calcium 1.1% 2.0% 3.0% 1.4% 0.6% 1.7% 49.0% 58.8%
Iron 1.5% 2.6% 1.3% 1.9% 2.9% 1.9% 0.9% 13.0%
Magnesium 2.6% 7.3% 3.6% 3.9% 2.3% 1.1% 16.6% 37.3%
Phosphorous 1.9% 3.3% 3.4% 2.4% 1.8% 6.1% 42.2% 61.0%
Potassium 5.8% 9.4% 8.2% 6.6% 5.3% 1.2% 20.6% 57.1%
Sodium 0.1% 0.1% 5.5% 0.0% 0.6% 3.6% 15.8% 25.7%
Zinc 1.8% 1.6% 2.4% 0.8% 0.5% 3.9% 11.9% 22.8%
Vitamin C 12.4% 0.3% 8.3% 11.5% 1.9% 0.0% 7.3% 41.7%
Thiamin 2.3% 2.5% 5.7% 2.7% 2.4% 2.1% 16.3% 33.9%
Riboflavin 3.0% 3.2% 5.0% 3.3% 3.9% 16.1% 46.8% 81.3%
Niacin 3.5% 4.8% 6.6% 1.2% 1.9% 0.2% 7.3% 25.4%
Vitamin B6 3.0% 5.9% 8.7% 3.6% 3.0% 2.8% 11.5% 38.4%
Folate 1.6% 2.1% 3.8% 0.9% 0.2% 3.2% 0.8% 12.6%
Vitamin B12 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 18.8% 12.8% 31.6%
Vitamin A 13.1% 0.0% 130.1% 0.5% 0.0% 8.5% 35.2% 187.4%
Vitamin E 6.2% 0.2% 5.3% 0.7% 0.0% 3.0% 2.2% 17.6%
Vitamin D 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 19.4% 123.5% 142.9%
Vitamin K 3.9% 2.0% 17.6% 3.3% 0.0% 0.1% 1.6% 28.5%
Food Items Portion Size
Apricots 105 g
Dates 67.5 g
Carrots 120 g
Cherries 140 g
Raisins 30 g
Egg 44 g
Milk 475 ml
We can see from the table
that Vitamin A and D exceed
the recommended daily allow-
ances. In that case though,
we are not concerned at all
because the upper daily limits
for Vitamin A and D are 3,000
and 50 μg per day respective-
ly. And for this case, they ac-
count for 48% and 14% of the
upper limits (for Vitamin A and
D respectively).
