Thursday, October 31, 2013

AIDF Food Security Summit hosted by UNESCAP to tackle problem of food security development



Aidmatrix Manager - India Kuldip Nar will be presenting at the AIDF Food Security Event in Thailand on November 26-27.

London, 22 October 2013: AIDF Food Security Summit 2013: to tackle sustainable development as a means to tackle food insecurity.

Sustainability has unquestionably become the key focus for development. Asia is poised for more rapid growth, but growth without sustainability will be untenable. Now more than ever there is a need for innovative yet sustainable solutions for tackling issues such as economic development and poverty alleviation. One key area in Asia where sustainable solutions are of fundamental importance is in tackling food insecurity. 

Despite the rapid growth of many economies in the Asia Pacific, this region still has the highest number of malnourished people in the world, with over 700 million people still living in poverty (defined as living on less than $1.25 a day).  Food insecurity can lead to child underdevelopment, starvation and often death; the resulting weakening of the population also has far-reaching repercussions on a country’s economic performance and global standing, making it extremely difficult for these countries to develop to their full potential.

Significant progress in achieving food security has already been made in Asia, however many different factors are accentuating the problem today. Rapidly rising populations combined with increased consumerism and consumption is putting immense strain on food supplies in Asia and the Pacific; IFAD predicts that food production in developing countries will need to increase by 50% by 2050 in order to satisfy demand.  Furthermore ineffective farming methods and the negative effects of climate change inflate the problem; up to 40% of the world’s arable land has already suffered the adverse effects of climate change, which include soil erosion, flooding and droughts.