Cover photo: Marie Ange Sylvain-Holmgren Sustainable agriculture and in Asia and the pacific The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the regional arm of the United Nations, playing a unique role as the only intergovernmental forum for all countries and territories of the Asian and Pacific region. Established in 1947, ESCAP currently consists of 53 members and nine associate members, covering over 60 per cent of the world’s population, or 4.1 billion people. ESCAP’s mission is to serve as the regional hub promoting cooperation among member States to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic and social development in the Asia-Pacific region. ESCAP provides the strategic regional link between global-, subregional- and country-level programmes and concerns. ESCAP is headquartered in Bangkok and has a Pacific office in Suva. For more information, please visit our website at <http://www.unescap.org>. 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Applications for such permission, with a statement of purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Statistical Analyses and Publications Coordinator, ESCAP, at <[email protected]>. ii SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC Contents Foreword......................................................................................................................1 Acknowledgements.......................................................................................................2 Abbreviations................................................................................................................5 Overview.......................................................................................................................7 ....Hunger.hotspots.in.Asia.and.the.Pacific...............................................................7 The.roots.of.food.insecurity.and.price.shocks........................................................8 Threats.to.sustainable.agriculture.........................................................................10 Governments.step.in............................................................................................12 Resilient.communities.........................................................................................13 An.agenda.for.food.security.................................................................................14 A.window.of.opportunity....................................................................................17 CHAPTER I..............................................................................................................19 Hunger.hotspots.in.Asia.and.the.Pacific.................................................................19 What.is.food.security?.........................................................................................19 Monitoring.progress............................................................................................21 The.extent.of.undernourishment.........................................................................22 Children.underweight.........................................................................................23 The.global.hunger.index......................................................................................27 Hunger.hotspots..................................................................................................28 In-country regions and provinces........................................................................29 Vulnerable groups..............................................................................................32 The.impact.of.food.insecurity..............................................................................33 Hidden.food.insecurity........................................................................................35 CHAPTER II.............................................................................................................37 The.roots.of.food.insecurity.and.price.shocks..........................................................37 Food.production..................................................................................................37 The.impact.on.the.poor.......................................................................................40 Increasing.demand...............................................................................................40 Security.through.trade.........................................................................................43 Food.policies.of.the.developed.countries.............................................................46 Market-based.food.insecurity..............................................................................50 Food.absorption.and.utilization...........................................................................51 Quality and safety.............................................................................................51 iii The 2008 food price crisis ...................................................................................52 Increases in demand ..................................................................................53 The impact of high oil prices .......................................................................54 Decelerating food productivity ...................................................................55 Climate change and disasters .....................................................................55 Speculation ...............................................................................................55 Respite ................................................................................................................56 CHAPTER III ..........................................................................................................59 Threats to sustainable agriculture ............................................................................59 Expanding deserts...............................................................................................60 Shrinking forests .................................................................................................61 Competing for water ..........................................................................................62 Displaced by biofuels ..........................................................................................64 Genetically modified crops .................................................................................66 Unknown risks .................................................................................................67 Climate change ...................................................................................................68 The impact on food security ................................................................................70 An uncertain future ............................................................................................72 CHAPTER IV ..........................................................................................................75 Governments step in...............................................................................................75 Agriculture that lasts ..........................................................................................76 Trade policies .....................................................................................................77 Importer action .................................................................................................78 Fiscal policy ........................................................................................................79 Stocks and reserves .............................................................................................80 Food transfers .....................................................................................................81 International food aid .........................................................................................83 Cash transfers .....................................................................................................84 Insurance systems ...............................................................................................85 Activist administrations ......................................................................................85 CHAPTER V 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