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Food Security and Food Price Situation in the World and in Asia and the Pacific Region. Presentation to UNDG Asia-Pacific Meeting 1 March 2011 Bangkok. Hiroyuki KONUMA, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.
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Food Security and Food Price Situation in the World and in Asia and the Pacific Region Presentation to UNDG Asia-Pacific Meeting1 March 2011Bangkok Hiroyuki KONUMA, Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Outline of presentation • Present food insecurity and hunger situation • Food production situation • Food price hike and its causes, consequences (short term food security problem) and actions • Medium/long-term food security challenges
Proportion of undernourished in the Asia-Pacific region Source: FAO SOFI 2010
Regional trends in the number of undernourished, from 1990-2 to 2010 Source: FAO SOFI 2010
Regional trends in the proportion of undernourished, from 1990-2 to 2010 Source: FAO SOFI 2010
Cereal production-demand forecast as of January 2011 • Production: 2.23 billion m/t (-1.4%) • Developing countries (+3.8%) • Developed countries (-7.6%) • Utilization : 2.26 billion m/t (+1.8%) • Developing countries (+3.1%) • Developed countries (-0.3%) • Stocks : 0.52 billion m/t (-5.8%)
Food Price Hike • Natural disaster (drought in Russia and CIS countries in July 2010) • Restriction of grain exports by Russia • Bad weather in USA and Europe led to production decline • Continuous natural disasters in Pakistan and Australia (floods), drought in China, etc. • Food commodity markets became increasingly sensitive to external shocks • Continuous increase in food demand • Lower food stocks • Crude oil price increase • US$ exchange rate
FAO Food Price Index Hike • 231 points in January 2011 (3.4% up from December 2010) • Record highest (higher than 213 points at the peak in 2008) • FAO cereal price index in January 2011 stood at 62% higher than that of June 2010, but 11% lower than the peak in 2008.
Negative consequences of food price hike • Poor people spend 50-70% of income for foods; leading to increase in number of chronic hunger • Food price hike since October 2010 pushed 44 million people into extreme poverty (World Bank, 15 February 2011) • Increase in foreign debt of food importing developing countries; leading to political instability • Food riots (Mozambique in September 2010, more than 10 countries in 2008) • Political unrest
What can we do? • Trade policy review, and put an end to market distortions and restrictive trade/export practices, complete Doha Round negotiations • Improving the reliability of food security and market information, and promote market transparency • Explore new measures to deal with excess speculations . • Sharing experiences and lessons learnt from past experiences (2007/08 crisis) in other countries • Building capacity of policy makers and promote their knowledge to various policy and programme options
What can we do? (cont.) • Yield enhancing investment towards food productivity and production growth • Reforming policies for grain based bio-fuels, and harmonize with food security policy • Review of food stock policies and emergency food reserve • Social safety nets, targeting approach to most vulnerable (children, etc), promotion of cash voucher scheme,etc. • Natioanal/global level financial facility to help poor food importing nations
Planned Actions • Short term: collection, monitoring and analysis of weekly food price data from member countries in the region. • FAO with the support of USA and other partners is organizing a regional consultation on policy and programme actions to address high food prices in A-P (Bangkok 9-10 March, Fiji mid April) • Medium term: preparation towards G20 Agricultural Minister’s Meeting in mid June 2011, followed by FAO Global Conference starting 25 June.
Medium/Long-Term Food Security Challenges • World population reaches 9.1billion by 2050 • To feed these population, world has to increase food production by 70% (100% for developing countries) by 2050 • But, this has to be attained under various existing constraints
Source: FAO SOFI 2009 Source: FAO SOFI 2009
Green revolution in Asia Source: FAOSTAT, July 2002 and Dr. Borlaug’s estimated on modern variety adoption, based on CIMMYT and IRRI data
Lessons learned from Green Revolution • - food price (adjusted inflation), declined by 40% since 196 which benefited consumers, especially the poor. • - World undernourished population fallen from 35% in 1970 to 17% in 2000-2002. • - Impact on soil erosion, loss of forests, water stress, widening gap between rich and poor farmers • -Decline in interest on agriculture and agricultural investment
Can we make it? • Green revolution increased cereal production by 300% in 40 years • Our target is 70% (100% in developing countries) in 40 years by 2050
Priority on agricultural research and development • FAO estimates that 90% (80% in developing countries alone) of the production increase are projected to come from increase in yields and cropping intensity), and • Only 10% (or 20% in developing countries) of the production increase would come from expansion of arable land.
Priority actions to attain food security • Mobilizing political will and building up global awareness and solidarity • Increase public and private sector investment in agricultural research and development, inputs supply (seeds, fertilizer, etc.), infrastructure development (irrigation system, road, market, etc.) value chain dev. ,etc. • Coping with water scarcity, OFWM, water saving technology • Sustainable natural resource management and conservation • Empowering small scale farmers and pro-poor policy • Reducing post-harvest losses
Cont. • Adaptation and mitigation to climate change and natural disasters • Harmonization of bio-energy development with food security, and promotion of 2nd and 3rd generation of bio-energy • Responsible agricultural investment • Achieving broadly-based, inclusive economic growth • Establishing sustainable targeted safety nets for the poor and vulnerable groups, and promote gender sensitive approach • Strengthen farm & non-farm sector linkages, and non-farm employment • Improve ability to respond to natural disasters, new pressures, uncertainties and shocks • Promote public and private sector partnership and collaboration