Food Insecurity in Asia & the Pacific: Status, Challenges

and Key Actions

Hiroyuki KonumaAssistant Director-General & Regional

Representative FAO-Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

IFA Crossroads Asia-Pacific Conference8-10 November 2010, Hanoi, Viet Nam

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Content

Global and the Asia-Pacific regional portrait of food security

Soaring food prices and food insecurity

Medium or Long-term challenges

Conclusions

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Global and the Asia-Pacificregional portrait of food security

4

World cereal production by type

Source: FAO Crop Prospects and Food Situation, September 2010

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Basic facts of world cereal situation(million tonnes, rice in milled terms)

1 Data refer to calendar year of the first year shown.

2 For wheat and coarse grains, trade refers to exports based on July/June marketing season. For rice, trade refers to exports based on calendar year of the second year shown.

3 Data are based on an aggregate of carryovers level at the end of national crop years and, therefore, do not represent world stock levels at any point in time.

Source: FAO Crop Prospects and Food Situation, September 2010

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Far East cereal production(million tonnes)

Source: FAO Crop Prospects and Food Situation, September 2010

7Source: FAO SOFI 2010

8Source: FAO SOFI 2010

9Source: FAO SOFI 2010

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Regional trends in the number of undernourished, from 1990-2 to 2010

Source: FAO SOFI 2010

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Regional trends in the proportion of undernourished, from 1990-2 to 2010

Source: FAO SOFI 2010

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Number of undernourished in the Asia-Pacific region

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1990-92

1995-97

2000-02

2005-07

2009 2010

Number (million)

Source: FAO SOFI 2010

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Proportion of undernourished in the Asia-Pacific region

0

5

10

15

20

25

1990-92 1995-97 2000-02 2005-07 2009 2010

Proportion

Source: FAO SOFI 2010

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Soaring food prices and food insecurity

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Food price changes - 2005-2010

Food price volatility 2005-2010 (monthly data)

2005

2006

2007

2008

20092010

50

100

150

200

250

Jan

uar

y

Feb

ruar

y

Mar

ch

Ap

ril

May

Jun

e

July

Au

gu

st

Sep

tem

ber

Oct

ob

er

No

vem

ber

Dec

emb

er

FA

O F

oo

d P

rice

Ind

ex (

2002

-200

4=10

0)

Source: http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation

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FAO food price index declined from the peak in mid-2008, but has started to climb again since mid-2010.Food prices index remains higher than the pre-crisis level in many developing countries.

Source: FAO World Food Situation Report, November 2010

17Source: FAO Global Food Price Monitor, November 2010

18Source: FAO Global Food Price Monitor, November 2010

19Source: FAO Global Food Price Monitor, November 2010

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Recent price changes

• In October 2010, world market price rice and wheat were 47 and 42 percent lower than their peaks in 2008.

• Wheat prices that had been increasing sharply since July fell in October, but they remain 60% higher than the beginning of July 2010 and 40% higher than one year ago.

• Domestic prices of wheat have increased markedly in some importing countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia and, in particular, in Afghanistan.

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Real commodity prices in 2007-08 relative to 1997-2006 and projection for 2010-2019

Source: FAO

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Medium and Long-Term Challenges

• World population would reach 9.1 billion by 2050

• 70% increase of world food production demand by 2050 (100% increase for developing countries)

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Conclusions

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Changes in Factors of Production in Developing Countries of Asia Resulted from Green Revolution.

 Adoption of

Modern Varieties  

Fertilizer

Nutrient Use

 

Cereal Productio

nWheat Rice Irrigation Tractors

  M ha / % areamillion

ha million t million million t

1

9

6

1 0 0/ % 0 0/ % 87 2 02 309

1

9

7

0

14 /20%

15 2/0% 106 10 05. 463

1

9

8

0

14 /20%

55 4/3% 129 29 20. 618

1

9

9

0

60 /70%

85 6/5% 158 54 34. 858

2

0

0

0

60 /70%

100 /74% 181 70 48. 962

Source: FAOSTAT, July 2002 and Dr. Borlaug’s estimated on modern variety adoption, based on CIMMYT and IRRI data

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Priority actions to attain food security

• Mobilizing political will and building up global solidarity• Investment in agriculture R & D• Empowering small scale farmers• Reducing post-harvest losses• Adaptation and mitigation to climate change and natural

disasters and• Harmonization of bio-energy development with food

security• Responsible investment in agriculture• Creating awareness, partnership and solidarity at all

levels

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Long-term challenges of hunger reduction in the region

Increasing food production to meet needs of a growing, affluent and ageing population, which will increase from 4.2 billion in 2010 to 5.3 billion in 2050

Achieving broadly-based, inclusive economic growth

Establishing sustainable targeted safety nets for the poor and vulnerable groups

Addressing competition between food and biofuel needs

Success in adaptation to and mitigation of climate change in agriculture

Coping with water scarcity Dealing with commercialization and globalization of

markets Ensuring food safety

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Key actions to address persistent & growing hunger in the region

• Increase investment to sustain productivity growth

• Empower small producers and women farmers

• Increase access to food, not just supply by increasing incomes on agriculture and in other sector

• Strengthen farm & non-farm sector linkages• Improve ability to respond to new pressures

and uncertainties

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Put pressure on decision makers to end hunger. Sign the petition, and push for action wherever you are. Please sign the petition at address below.

http://www.1billionhungry.org/