The ICT-Based Food Security Management of Pakistan

Shehar Bano; Muhammad Adeel Afzal; Aqsa Nadeem; Narmin Nezamdoost-Sani

doi:10.64060/ICPP.09

Authors

Shehar Bano School of Geography and Remote Sensing, Hohai University, Nanjing, China Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5320-4634
Muhammad Adeel Afzal College of Economics & Management Science, China Three Gorges University, China Author https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7164-9183
Aqsa Nadeem Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Pakistan Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7604-5292
Narmin Nezamdoost-Sani Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.64060/ICPP.09

Keywords:

Food Security, Information and Communication Technology, Agri-Food System, Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), Sustainable Agriculture, Digital Transformation

Abstract

Food security remains a critical development challenge for Pakistan, exacerbated by population pressures, climate vulnerabilities, and systemic inefficiencies within its agrarian economy. In the current research, there is a research question that examines the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a game changer in terms of advancing food security, other vital determinants such as the agri-food system, greenhouse gas emission, GDP per capita, drinking water provision, and population growth. It is affirmed using the annual data from 2001 to 2023, and with the development of a model of Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL), as a result of the assessment showed that there is indeed a stable long-run co-integrating relationship between the variables. The findings prove that ICT, the agri-food system, and GDP per capita have great positive impacts on long-run food security, and gas emissions are also positively correlated as well, which indicates that there is a complex association between them and agricultural output. The first one is that in the short run, when the error-correction mechanism is efficient, it implies that the adjustment to the equilibrium following a shock is fast. The results highlight the need to have a strategic approach to digital innovation, an effective food value chain, and sustainable economic policies in order to develop a resilient food system. The paper ends by making recommendations on specific investments in ICT infrastructures, climate-sensitive agriculture, and inclusive development to guarantee Pakistan's sustainable food security in the view of changing environmental and demographic conditions.

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