Agriculture

Around 59.8 million or nearly one-third of the analyzed population across five countries in Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) faced acute food insecurity in 2023 due to economic crises, conflict/insecurity, weather extremes and natural disasters, according to the  2024 Global Report on Food Crisis (GRFC). Economic shocks were the primary driver of acute food insecurity in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in 2023, while weather extremes and conflict/insecurity were the primary drivers in Pakistan and Myanmar, respectively.

Asia faces unprecedented food security challenges due to soaring rice prices, climate-induced disasters, and ecosystem degradation. Strategic action is needed to transform food systems for greater resilience and sustainability.

Food security remains a serious challenge in Asia and the Pacific. This region has the highest number of people facing acute food insecurity worldwide. 

Asia is home to 55% of the people in the world affected by hunger—more than 400 million—and faces continuing threats to food security. The crises of recent years—including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and climate-related shocks—have disrupted Asia’s food supply chains as they have around the world. Currently, rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and floods pose threats to the production of rice and wheat, key staple crops in the region.