Thumbnail Image

Dynamic development, shifting demographics and changing diets

The story of the rapidly evolving food system in Asia and the Pacific and why it is constantly on the move

Year of publication 2018

Place of publication Bangkok, Thailand ;

Pages 172

Author Dawe, D.; Ahuja, V.; Bloem S.; Damen, B.; Martyn, T.; Whiting, L.

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-130248-4

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Asia and the Pacific is experiencing major demographic shifts and urbanizing rapidly. E-agriculture technologies (remote sensing, drones, sensors) are emerging, with potentially profound implications for the entire food system and management of the natural resource base. Structural transformation of the economy has also changed the nature of the food security problem. Earlier, many governments thought that producing more staple food was sufficient to improve food security. However, today’s economy, increasingly based on human capital and less on physical strength, requires that policies and programmes promote healthy diets for healthy people. This need for improved nutrition will require shifts in agricultural production and trade patterns. Solving the malnutrition problem in urban areas will also require different solutions than in rural areas, due to the difference in urban and rural food environments. In line with the structural transformation of the economy, farm households also increasingly rely on non-farm income to support their livelihoods and risk management strategies, which has implications for the uptake of new technologies. The demographic shifts, urbanization and structural changes in the economy, coupled with climate change, have made the food security and nutrition problem more complex than it was in the past. Solutions require input from different stakeholders, both public and private, as well as a range of government ministries, including Health, Finance, Education, Environment, Trade and Social Welfare in addition to Agriculture.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Booklet
    Policy Brief. Food prices: an effective way of shifting diets towards healthier habits in Sri Lanka 2019
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This policy brief examines food prices and responsiveness to food prices, focused on the main food groups in Sri Lanka. One factor that determines food choices are food prices, which then in turn impacts the nutritional status of a population. In Sri Lanka, the cost of energy-dense food (finger millet, cassava, sugar, edible oil) is relatively lower when compared to those of low-energy dense, healthier food (such as fruits and vegetables). Due to the rising tide of over-nutrition leading to a higher rate of non-communicable diseases, and the prevalence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, Sri Lanka is in an urgent need to design robust pricing strategies rather than rely on short-term price fixing. While the cost of healthy and unhealthy foods is not the only factor determining diets and nutrition outcomes, it is nevertheless an important one, and therefore these policies should aim to transform population diets towards healthier and affordable food options. Despite the role of food prices in shifting diets, in Sri Lanka, pricing policies have not considered this potential and have been used to serve different purposes. In this respect, this policy brief examines prices and responsiveness to prices focused on the main food groups in Sri Lanka; discusses the role of subsidies and taxes as potential tools to effectively drive changes in Sri Lankan diets; and concludes with relevant policy recommendations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Document
    Impacts of Demographic Changes on Forests and Forestry in Asia and the Pacific 2009
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This thematic study assesses how demographic changes have impacted forests and forestry in the past to identify the likely impacts of changes up to 2020. Impacts of demographic changes on forests and forestry are assessed in terms of (a) forests and land use changes; (b) resource degradation (c) housing demand and its implications on wood products and (d) environmental concerns such as urban greening/forestry, recreational demand and water availability and usage.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (series)
    Guidelines on the collection of demographic and socio-economic information on fishing communities for use in coastal and aquatic resources management 2004
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    Article 10 of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF) sets out principles and standards for the integration of fisheries in coastal management. Article 10.2.4 of the CCRF states: “States, in accordance with their capacities, should establish or promote the establishment of systems to monitor the coastal environment as part of the coastal management process using physical, chemical, biological, economic and social parameters. “The guidelines presented in Part 1 of this Fisheries Technical Paper attempt to identify empirically verifiable key indicators for the identification of socio-economic and demographic issues, problems and opportunities in coastal and aquatic resources management and for monitoring the impact of management measures on the socio-economic well-being of coastal and fishing communities. The guidelines also identify data sources and methods for the collection of data. Part 2 contains a summary of the proceedings and recommendations of the Regional Workshop on the Use of Demographic Data in Fisheries and Coastal Development and Management in the Philippines and other Southeast and South Asian Countries held at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, Miag-ao, Iloilo, Philippines from 18 to 21 March 2002, as well as selected papers from the workshop. In Part 3, two case studies, one from the United States of America and the other from Italy, describe how socio-economic and demographic indicators are actually used in coastal and aquatic resources management.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.