My Journey: From a Family Farm to Your Family’s Table
Hello, I’m Saqib Ali Ateel.
If you’re here, you’re likely looking for answers you can trust about the food you eat. You’re trying to navigate a world of confusing headlines and complicated labels, all to protect the people you love.
I understand that journey deeply, because my life has been spent in three seemingly different worlds: one with my hands in the soil of my family’s farm in rural Pakistan, the second as a policymaker, and the third in the halls of academic research, chasing down data for my PhD.
It’s this unique perspective—from the dirt to the desk, from the seed to the supermarket—that fuels my mission here at PrefOrganic. I’m not here to preach a perfect, unattainable lifestyle. I’m here to be your partner, your friend, and to give you the clear, research-backed guidance you need to feel confident about what’s on your family’s table.
It All Started with the Soil
Before I ever opened a policy paper, I was in the fields. I mean actual fields, under a blazing sun, with the raw earth between my toes. That’s where I learned the simple, foundational truth: if the soil is healthy, everything that grows from it is more nutritious, too.
For generations, farming was a partnership with nature. But I watched as that partnership slowly eroded. I saw farmers, good people I’d known my whole life, become trapped in a cycle of debt and chemicals. I saw the soil grow tired. And I saw people in the cities, just like you, begin to wonder if their food was actually, well, food.
We had lost the connection between the land and our plates. I knew there had to be a better way.
Putting Common Sense to the Test
My chance to prove it came when I was serving as Secretary of Agriculture in South Punjab. The cotton belt, a vital part of our economy, was hemorrhaging. Yields were plummeting, and farmers were drowning, drenching their crops in expensive chemicals only to watch the pests laugh back. The standard playbook advised spraying more and spraying harder.
I ripped up that playbook.
Working with top agricultural universities, we flipped the script. We introduced Integrated Pest Management (IPM). In simple terms, we decided to let nature do the heavy lifting. We asked farmers to hold their sprays, allowing beneficial insects to return. We replaced chemical cocktails with simple, plant-powered protections made from neem and other local plants.
The result was immediate and profound. Yields bounced back. Farmers saved billions of rupees. But most importantly, we rebuilt trust: trust in a system that worked with nature, not against it. It was field-tested grit, not just a theory in a lab.
Building the Tools to Serve You
That experience lit a fire in me. I saw that real, lasting change required more than just passion; it required precision tools. So, I dedicated myself to building a complete tool belt.
I pursued a Master’s in Public Management from NUS and Harvard to learn how to navigate bureaucratic processes effectively. I studied law to understand how to build systems that protect honest farmers and families. And now, as I research for my PhD thesis in Agricultural Business & Marketing, I seek the cold, hard proof that we can build a food system that is both profitable and sustainable.
These degrees aren’t just for a wall. They are the tools I use every day to translate complex science into simple, actionable wisdom.
Why PrefOrganic Exists: Our Promise to You
Everything I have ever done—from my blistered palms as a boy on the farm to my policy work in city offices—funnels into this single mission: to be your most trusted guide on your journey to a healthier life.
The world is loud, and the headlines are designed to create fear. My goal is to replace that fear with knowledge and confusion with confidence.
- As a scholar, this is my lab—where I break down the science into street-level wisdom you can use in the grocery aisle.
- As a farmer at heart, this is my bullhorn—to advocate for living soil and real, honest nourishment.
- As your guide, this is my commitment—to provide you with the calm, clear answers you need to protect your family.
This isn't just a website; it's the blueprint of my life's work. Thank you for being here and for taking this crucial step. Let’s walk this path together.
For food that’s alive. For land that breathes. For the future we are building at our family tables, right now.
From Food Confusion to Family Confidence. 🛡️
