From Poverty to Possibility: Unpacking the Link Between Poverty and Food Insecurity in Pakistan

This paper explores the link between poverty and food insecurity in Pakistan using household survey data and three measures of food insecurity—average calorie availability, minimum dietary energy requirement, and the perception-based Food Insecurity Experience Scale—at national, rural, and urban levels. Our results reveal that poorer households are more likely to be food insecure across all measures. Although reduction in household consumption expenditures and increase in both dependency ratio and household size may worsen the situation of food insecurity, improved economic opportunities (agricultural employment), human capital (education of the household head), inflows of international remittances, ownership of assets (livestock and agricultural land), and access to clean drinking water alleviate food insecurity. Highlighting the need for multidimensional interventions, our analysis for Pakistan reveals that poverty alleviation alone is insufficient to ensure food security.