FAO conductive five days theoretical and practice training for food security professionals working in the government and other development institutions. The overall aim of the training was to build their capacity on the effective use of the Food Balance Sheet concept.

Mr. Hem Raj Regmi (Statistician) FAORAP in Bangkok and Mr. Ajmal Jahangeer, Statistician, FAO Pakistan facilitated this training which successfully helped participants in understanding the concept of food security at regional level in the global prospective and current Food Balance Sheet system in the government departments. Gaps in the current system were also identified.
The sessions were also instrumental in enhancing the capacity of government officers on new guidelines on the preparation of food balance sheet and its analysis, common understanding of data collection and analysis for data reliability and consistency.

Food Balance Sheet is one among various cost-effective methods developed by Global Strategy.
The Global Strategy (GS) is a multi-partner initiative tasked to help countries develop a long-term strategy to improve agricultural and rural statistics termed the Strategic Plan for Agricultural and Rural Statistics (SPARS). The research component of the Global Strategy has further produced a number of technical reports and guidelines dealing with improved statistical methodologies for collection of agricultural and rural statistics. Improving availability and quality of agricultural statistics through the adoption of these new methodologies is an important output of the Global Strategy work. The adoption of these statistical methods could help countries prioritize the required technical assistance from development partners and capacity building requirements for monitoring Food Security policies and plans as well as SDG indicators.

The training was arranged in coordination with Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform and Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.