Pakistani Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam said on Thursday that climate-resilient agriculture is the foundation of food security in the developing world including Pakistan.

There is a need to transform the agricultural sector to such a vibrant and resilient scale that it can withstand the impacts of climate change, Imam said while virtually addressing a ministerial meeting of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation on agriculture and food security.

He said climate change has become the most significant challenge to achieve sustainable development goals, and it threatens to drag millions of people into never-ending poverty.

Agriculture not only provides essential food for human consumption and feed for livestock, but also offers raw materials to industry and value-added products for both domestic consumption and international markets while enhancing economic growth, the minister said.

Talking about the agricultural sector of Pakistan, Imam said the ongoing fiscal year remains remarkable for the country despite COVID-19 challenges, and the national economy got a boost with a record agricultural production.

He said Pakistan is ready to work with the international community to promote more ambitious collective actions to address the problem of food security in the world.