A Shift Towards Ecological Farming in Pakistan's Agriculture

In an era defined by rising climate volatility, ecological degradation, and chronic food insecurity, Pakistan’s agricultural future hangs in a delicate balance. With 36.9% of the population facing food insecurity (WFP, 2023), and agriculture accounting for nearly 40% of national greenhouse gas emissions (Pakistan Climate Change Report, 2023), the country stands at a critical crossroads. Industrial farming, once lauded for increasing yields, is now driving soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and water depletion. The Pakistan Economic Survey (2022–23) reveals that over 60% of the country’s arable land suffers from erosion, salinity, or nutrient loss threatening productivity and livelihoods.

The urgency of transforming Pakistan’s food systems has never been greater. Feeding a growing population must go hand in hand restoring the ecosystems that make food production possible. This means shifting away from extractive, high-input farming models toward regenerative, biodiversity-rich practices that work with nature rather than against it. Diversified cropping systems, organic inputs, agroforestry, and water-efficient irrigation are not just environmental imperatives, they are economic necessities for resilience in an age of climate uncertainty.

At the heart of this transformation is the dignity of rural labor. Women, who form 70% of the agricultural workforce yet own less than 5% of land (PBS, 2023), must be at the center of reform efforts. Ensuring land rights, equal pay, and access to credit and training can unlock their full potential as stewards of sustainable agriculture. This article delves into local success stories, highlights grassroots innovations, and confronts entrenched structural barriers. Ultimately, it makes the case that an agriculture rooted in ecological balance, social justice, and community empowerment is not only viable, but vital, for nourishing both people and planet in Pakistan.

Farming for People and Planet: A Dual Responsibility in Pakistan

Agriculture in Pakistan stands at a pivotal junction where the need to ensure national food security must be harmonized with the urgency of environmental sustainability. Employing 38.5% of the national labor force (Pakistan Economic Survey, 2023), the sector remains highly vulnerable to climate shocks. The 2022 floods, which destroyed 4.5 million acres of cultivated land (NDMA, 2022), served as a stark reminder of this fragility. Conventional industrial farming, characterized by heavy reliance on synthetic fertilizers and water-intensive irrigation, has depleted vital natural resources. Pakistan’s per capita water availability has now fallen below 1,000 cubic meters—a recognized threshold of water scarcity (World Bank, 2023). In Punjab’s intensively farmed zones, over 70% of groundwater sources are contaminated by agrochemical runoff (PCRWR, 2023), threatening both health and productivity.

Sustainable farming models such as organic agriculture, agroecology, and regenerative techniques, present viable solutions to restore ecological balance. While the Prime Minister’s Initiative for Green Pakistan (2023) has made strides in promoting climate-smart agriculture, smallholder farmers, who produce 80% of Pakistan’s food (FAO, 2022), require better access to resources, training, and markets to make this shift viable at scale.

At the heart of Pakistan’s agricultural system are small-scale farmers and rural laborers whose efforts often go undervalued. Women, making up a significant portion of the labor force, remain marginalized, lacking land ownership and credit access (UN Women, 2023). Many farmworkers earn less than $5 per day (Pakistan Labor Force Survey, 2023) and lack social protections. Models like the Sindh Community Foundation’s cooperative farming have improved women’s participation and income in Thar, but broader reforms in land rights and labor protections are crucial.

The impact of conventional agriculture on public health is also alarming. Pesticide exposure has been linked to increasing cancer cases in farming communities, as documented in a 2023 study by Aga Khan University. In contrast, regenerative systems such as those in the Cholistan Desert and Biofarm Pakistan demonstrate that chemical-free agriculture can improve soil fertility, reduce costs, and even enhance yields by up to 20%.

Furthermore, Pakistan’s agrobiodiversity is under threat due to monocropping trends. Today, 75% of national food supply relies on just five crops (FAO, 2023), increasing vulnerability to pests, diseases, and climate stress. Traditional practices in Kalash and Gilgit-Baltistan, which rely on polyculture and native forests, offer living examples of resilience. Efforts by PARC to preserve native seed varieties are vital, but corporate dominance in hybrid seeds remains a barrier to true seed sovereignty. Empowering local seed systems and honoring indigenous knowledge are essential steps in crafting a food system that truly supports people and the planet.

Rethinking Agricultural Policy and Practice in Pakistan

Pakistan’s agricultural system faces deeply rooted structural challenges that hinder its ability to serve both people and the planet. At the heart of these challenges is the dominance of industrial agriculture, driven by multinational agribusinesses that promote chemical-intensive practices. These corporations often influence policy to maintain subsidies and market access, sidelining smallholder farmers who produce most of the country’s food but lack institutional support. Only 5% of agricultural subsidies currently reach small farmers (State Bank of Pakistan, 2023), while large-scale operations benefit disproportionately.

Water mismanagement further compounds these issues. Pakistan wastes nearly 60% of its irrigation water due to outdated practices such as flood irrigation (IMF, 2023). This inefficiency is unsustainable in a country already facing water scarcity and climate vulnerability, Pakistan ranks as the 8th most climate-affected country globally (Germanwatch, 2023), and agriculture lies directly in the path of worsening droughts and floods.

To forge a sustainable path forward, policy interventions must prioritize ecological and social equity. Scaling up agroecological models, like those used in the Barani Area Development Project, can empower farmers in rain-fed regions to farm efficiently without reliance on chemical inputs. Land reforms are also essential to ensure secure tenure and equitable ownership, especially for women, who remain largely excluded despite forming a majority of the rural agricultural workforce.

Water-smart technologies, such as drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting, must be subsidized and disseminated to reduce resource waste. Supporting farmer cooperatives through fair trade policies can help bypass exploitative middlemen and ensure better market access. Crucially, a policy overhaul is needed to redirect public subsidies away from corporate agriculture and toward smallholders who champion sustainability.

Local success stories offer promising blueprints. In Hunza, organic terraced farming preserves biodiversity and soil health. Punjab’s zero-tillage wheat initiative has cut water use by 30% (PARC, 2023), while Sindh’s women-led cooperatives have strengthened both incomes and social cohesion. These examples demonstrate that a people- and planet-centered agricultural system is not only necessary but entirely possible.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s agriculture stands at a defining moment where decisions made today will shape the health of its people, ecosystems, and economy for generations. Confronted with intensifying climate risks, degraded landscapes, and deep-rooted inequities, the country can no longer afford to prioritize industrial scale yields over ecological and social well-being. Instead, the path forward must embrace holistic, inclusive, and climate-resilient farming systems that regenerate the land and empower those who tend it.

This means more than shifting practice, it means shifting power. From land reforms that secure women’s ownership rights, to financial systems that redirect subsidies toward smallholders, Pakistan must realign its agricultural priorities around equity, dignity, and environmental stewardship. Agroecology, indigenous knowledge, and cooperative models offer proven tools for rebuilding a diverse, sustainable food system.

As local success stories in Hunza, Thar, and Cholistan have shown, it is possible to nourish both people and the planet if we choose policies that value biodiversity, invest in rural labor, and respect natural limits. The future of farming in Pakistan depends not only on technological fixes, but on moral clarity, political will, and collective action. By celebrating labor, life, and biodiversity, we can reimagine agriculture as a force for renewal, resilience, and shared prosperity.

References: FAO; Pakistan Economic Survey; UN Women; World Bank; State Bank of Pakistan; WFP; Pakistan Climate Change Report; PBS; NDMA; PCRWR; Pakistan Labor Force Survey; IMF; Germanwatch; PARC

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writers are affiliated with Government College University Faisalabad 1 and the National Business School, The University of Faisalabad 2, Faisalabad, Pakistan and can be reached at rimshashahid363@gmail.com

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