PAKISTAN is approaching a food security crisis. With a population increasing at two per cent annually, mounting water scarcity and a changing climate, the agriculture system is under strain.

Today, more than 240 million Pakistanis rely on a farming model that is outdated, inefficient and increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather, pests and water shortages. The growing food security challenge can be addressed by embracing genetically modified (GMO) seeds.

Pakistan’s per capita water availability has plummeted from over 5,000 cubic metres in 1951 to less than 1,000 today, making the country ‘water-stressed’. At the same time, agriculture remains the largest user of water accounting for nearly 90pc of all withdrawals, and delivers poor productivity compared to global benchmarks. Furthermore, climate change is now a regular feature of the farming calendar, adding to destabilisation in food production. These shocks disproportionately affect smallholder farmers, who lack the means to adapt.

Overlaying this is the relentless pressure of population growth. Pakistan adds more than 5m people every year, driving up demand for food staples like wheat, rice, maize and vegetables. The triple threat of climate change, water scarcity and........

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