Context
Asia and the Pacific region is undergoing a fundamental structural transformation that has important economic, social and environmental implications for the region and well beyond. How the region manages the issues relating to food security, both reactively and proactively, will be critical to its ability to ensure sustainable, inclusive economic growth and social cohesion.
Population and consumption dynamics are expected to continue to drive the global demand for food higher over the next several decades in the region. These trends, coupled with continued global commodity price volatility, are creating converging pressures and challenges. Similarly, rising food production will increase pressure on ecosystems and competition for scarce freshwater resources. The region will also be affected by global climate change impacts such as changing precipitation patterns and increased flooding.
Higher food prices can erode away the purchasing power of households and undermine the recent gains from poverty reduction. A recent ADB study estimates that a 10% increase in domestic food prices in developing Asia, home to 3.3 billion people, could lead to 1.9 percentage point increase in poverty incidence (equivalent to pushing 64.4 million into poverty) based on a $1.25-a-day poverty line.
Scope
The approach of the work is multidisciplinary – focusing on economic, social, and environmental aspects of food security. The study will cover both challenges and opportunities posed by the dynamics in food markets at the global, regional and national levels.The Asia and the Pacific Region is large and diverse. Some elements will be examined in the aggregate, while others will be examined in more depth at the sub-regional or national levels. Regional aspects will generally be covered in the context of the thematic framing—economic, environmental and social—rather than as stand-alone analytical pieces specific to geography.
Objectives
The purpose of this research is to further understand, synthesize and articulate key policy challenges and opportunities related to food security in the region, as well as to contextualize the role and importance of the region on the global stage.
The project will provide a platform for detailed analyses and evidence-based policy recommendations.
Partnership
The project is a joint undertaking between the Asia Development Bank (represented by the Economics and Research Department and Regional and Sustainable Development Department), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Canadian International Development Agency (Multilateral Development Institutions Directorate and Strategic Policy Directorate), and the University of British Colombia (Liu Institute for Global Issues).
Report on Key Challenges and Policy Issues
Prepared by the Asian Development Bank, in consultation with CIDA and UBC, the following report previews the ongoing research on food security that will be undertaken in this project. The paper discusses issues pertinent to food security and poverty in Asia and the Pacific, including:
- What are the implications of population growth and changes in consumption patterns for food security, given the limited resources for producing and distributing food?
- How does food price inflation and volatility affect food security? What are the impacts of increasing food prices on poverty?
- What are the factors that exacerbate food price volatility and market instability?
- What can policymakers do to improve food security in Asia and the Pacific?