Manila, Philippines - Governments in Asia will need to establish a hunger alleviation fund, provide safety nets for the poor, as well as work on risk management to ensure food security given rising population and changing consumption patterns, experts said yesterday.
“The planet is now home to seven billion people and rising. One of the key challenges for developing Asia will be ensuring food security in the face of competing rural demands, poor agricultural management, and climate change, while not compromising on equitable economic growth,”said Xianbin Yao, director general of the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Pacific Department during the “Billion and Growing: How Will the World Feed Itself?”seminar at the 45th annual meeting of the ADB Board of Governors.
He noted that among the causes of food insecurity are low productivity, poor connectivity of farmers to markets, as well as weak governance.
Changyong Rhee, chief economist at ADB, said in the same event that as global population is expected to reach 9.3 billion people by 2050 from 7 billion now, with more than half of the increase to be accounted for by Asia, governments in the region will have to work on increasing food production and focus on food security.
“There has been large poverty reduction in Asia but it is still home to two thirds of the world’poor. Sixty percent of the world’undernourished are also living in Asia,”he said.
Paul Samson, director general of the Canadian International Development Agency, said that apart from the rising population, governments in Asia will have to put more focus on food security given the change in consumption patterns.
“Consumption patterns are changing in Asia,”he said as he noted that the middle class is shifting away from cereal grains and moving to more meat, vegetables and fruits.
To promote food security and reduce poverty and hunger, a report given during the seminar recommended that governments in the region set up a hunger alleviation fund, which represents one percent of the country’gross domestic product, to be used as buffer in times of food crisis.
Such fund, the report said, would provide a safety net for the poor and those most vulnerable to hunger, malnutrition and starvation.
The report also said that the fund could be managed with the private sector, with companies contributing to the fund to be given incentives.
Pierre Jacquet, chief economist at the Agence Francaise de Developpement, said in the same event that governments in the region will also have to look into risk management as part of ensuring food security.
“Risk management should be a clear priority in food security as it covers food price, income of farmers and poverty impact,”he said.
He said that currently, there is not enough analysis and assessment of risks associated with agriculture when the sector has a lot of risks such as pests and weather conditions.
Critical elements
Meanwhile, Asian Development Bank (ADB) president Haruhiko Kuroda yesterday urged member countries to emphasize three critical elements including inclusive growth, green growth, and knowledge-led growth as the region continues to fuel global growth amid the uncertainties in the US and the debt crisis in Europe.
Kuroda said successful economies should transform through growth that is inclusive, green, and knowledge-led, and not focus on growth alone.
“Tomorrow’s successful economies will be well-governed economies, with broad access to opportunities and services to promote the wellbeing of their people and enhance their quality of life. They will thrive while reducing energy use to create a healthier, safer world for their children. They will innovate, take risks, and discover new ways to advance their society,” he stressed.
In terms of inclusive growth, the ADB chief said there is a need for Asian economies to make headway against poverty, as several hundred million Asian people are still living on less than $1.25 a day while inequalities and polarization continued to exacerbate the problem.
“Growth in itself is therefore not enough; only through inclusive growth will this tremendous challenge be met. Most countries in Asia are now pursuing an inclusive growth agenda,” he added. – With Lawrence Agcaoili