Food Security in Asia
- Amitava Mukharjee - Senior Expert, Macro-economic Policy and Development Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Bangkok, Thailand
Food Security in Asia provides a comprehensive analysis of the critical dimensions of food security in various countries of Asia. It attempts to draw attention towards the fact that food insecurity is a complex phenomenon, requiring a comprehensive response encompassing increasing food production, expanding economic access to food, especial access to food for disadvantaged groups and most importantly, breaking down the gender-based barriers to accessing food.
As one of the major challenges of the 21st century, global food security calls upon the countries to maintain a balance in food production. The suppliers also need to ensure year-long provision at both low cost and high quality for discerning and needy customers. The book discusses the governmental policies in relation to the communities' responses. While highlighting on the pressure exerted by climate change and world population growth, it also prescribes certain ideas which would help in making informed policy decisions.
[The book] provides a holistic picture of the experiences of many Asian Pacific countries on the level and magnitude of food and security and challenges being faced by them to be food-secure nations...encompasses a very detailed and comprehensive analysis of key issues on the subject and the strategies that ought to be adopted to make peoples in Asia-Pacific region food secure...certainly provides insights into many areas for further research.