Food Security: Asia's Two Faces

FOOD SECURITY: ASIA'S TWO FACES A new Asian Development Bank study says that while Asia's economic growth and structural transformation deepen the complexity in managing limited natural resources for food security, many pockets of Asia continue to struggle with high levels of poverty and poor nutrition. THE ASIA & THE PACIFIC REGION WITH GROWING INCOMES BETWEEN 1990 & 2010, ECONOMIES GREW AN AVERAGE OF 7.6% PER YEAR AND MORE MOUTHS TO FEED, THE REGION WILL CONSUME MORE & BETTER FOOD ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 60% OF GLOBAL POPULATION | GROWING STEADILY, DESPITE POVERTY ASIA'S FOOD CONSUMPTION (PER CAPITA PER DAY) 2,665 KILOCALORIES SOME 733 MILLION PEOPLE in Asia & the Pacific still live in absolute poverty 2,379 KILOCALORIES but... living on LESS THAN $1.25/DAY 1990 2009 | UNDERNOURISHMENT REMAINS 14% OVER HALF A BILLION (ABOUT 14%) of Asia's population are undernourished, more than all the undernourished in Africa Aa88A MORE THAN 40% OF CHILDREN in several Asia & the Pacific countries are stunted 28888 {1 FOCUSING ON NUTRITION, RATHER THAN CALORIC INTAKE, IS ESSENTIAL IF FOOD SECURITY IN THE REGION IS TO BE ACHIEVED } FOOD PRICE VOLATILITY Any increase in food price slows the pace of poverty reduction, as the poor spend UP TO 70% OF THEIR INCOMES ON FOOD Between 2001-2010 in Asia & the Pacific, AN ADDITIONAL 112 MILLION PEOPLE COULD HAVE ESCAPED POVERTY had food prices not increased IXXX AN INCREASE OF 1 PERCENTAGE POINT in food price inflation could lead to... 0.2% INCREASE in infant & child mortality 0.4% INCREASE in prevalence of undernourishment 1% I BUFFERING THE POOR FROM FOOD PRICE SPIKES To reduce the vulnerability of poor households, the region's policymakers must consider the following: Providing social safety netš such as FOOD AID & CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMS SETTING UP NATIONAL & REGIONAL FOOD RESERVES as buffers during shortages ESTABLISHING EMERGENCY FUNDS & INSURANCE PRODUCTS to cushion against disasters Implementing FOOD TRADĚ LIBERALIZATION Investing in AGRICULTÚRAL RESEARCH measures SOURCE ADB Asian Development Bank • Asian Development Bank (2013). Food Security in Asia and the Pacific FIGHTING POVERTY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC wwW.ADB.ORG