Abstract

Pakistan is a developing country, located in Southeast Asia, which must battle poverty, corruption and an imminent water scarcity crisis. Agriculture has a major contribution to Pakistan's economy. Despite the looming water crisis, there does not seem to be any clear plan for the country to adapt or prepare for the scarcity. Sugarcane, a highly water intensive crop, continues to grow and replace cotton fields across Pakistan. The topic of sugarcane, in Pakistan, is one that is surrounded by an air of corruption, disparity and political influence. This is because of allegations that the political elite act on vested interests to enact policies that favor the sugar industry.

This study identifies the barriers to Pakistan's agricultural sustainability with specific regard to Sugarcane, from the perspective of the stakeholders. The stakeholders have been identified as:

  1. High Ranking Government Officials

  2. Senior Sugar Mill Association Members

  3. Sugarcane Growers.

Agricultural researchers, along with the key stakeholders, were interviewed for this study. This research paper dives into existing literature to provide readers with a holistic view on the issue by providing historical context as well as the current picture. It then goes on to analyze the interviews of the key stakeholders identifying barriers such as overuse of water resources, a lack of agricultural research and corruption. The paper then further investigates the attitudes surrounding sugarcane production in Pakistan by putting interviews into three distinct camps based on their interview responses.

Advisor

Mariola, Matt

Department

Environmental Studies

Disciplines

Agricultural Economics | Agricultural Education | Environmental Studies | Food Security | Social Influence and Political Communication

Keywords

Sugarcane, Pakistan, Sustainability.

Publication Date

2021

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2021 Malik Faisal Yazdani