Despite significant progress against hunger made by developing Asia over 300 million people were still food insecure, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Saturday.
ADB in its review report said: “In the past two decades, developing Asia has made significant progress in its fight against hunger, lifting more than 200 million people from undernourishment. This progress is impressive, but more than 300 million in the region are still food insecure.”
As Asian economies become richer and more urbanized, food demand is not only increasing, but also moving towards animal products that are much more resource intensive and environmentally unfriendly, the report said.
It added Meeting this growing regional demand for meat poses many problems, such as the contribution to climate change from widespread livestock farming. ADB was exploring opportunities for plant-based meat, alternative protein sources, and sustainable environment-friendly livestock production.
The report termed Asian agriculture vital to the region’s development. One in three of developing Asia’s workers are still employed in agriculture. But the sector is beset by low productivity and incomes.
An estimated four out of five people living below the poverty line in the region are in rural areas. This means that raising agricultural productivity is critical to poverty reduction and advancing the region’s economic transformation.
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