Fieldwork Highlights: What is the true meaning of food sovereignty in Pakistan?

CASAS’ member Fizza Batool shares a note from her fieldwork in Pakistan:

While sitting in the Ministry of National Food Security in Islamabad, the Food Commissioner said during the interview:

“There is something called food security, and there is something else too, called food sovereignty and we have to understand both of these things.”

I was really impressed and became extra attentive, thinking that the Pakistani state was making that effort. Great.
Then the Commissioner went on to explain food sovereignty. He said:

“Food sovereignty is this: I am a food-sovereign country in two ways. Number one, I produce my own food and I don’t need to import anything. I am not dependent on anyone. Number two, I don’t produce my own, but I have enough money to import my food items. So these two things provide you with food sovereignty.”

I was confused and started wondering whether I had misunderstood the term. I asked him to clarify, and he then explained food sovereignty (the “something else,” not food security) using mainstream, orthodox economic ideas. I continued to ask myself: was this an appropriation of the term, or did the Food Commissioner simply not understand what food sovereignty actually means?

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