40% Asia-Pacific people cannot afford healthy food: FAO

Around 40% of people in the Asia and Pacific regions cannot afford healthy and nutritious food, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Due to climate change, the threats to food and agricultural production are likely to go up in the future, it added.

The information was disseminated at a senior government official and agriculture secretary-level meeting of the 36th Asia-Pacific regional conference of the FAO of the United Nations at Hotel InterContinental, Dhaka, on Tuesday.

Delegates from 46 member countries in the region -- including agriculture secretaries and officers of government and private organisations—took part in the conference.

Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam said agriculture in Asia and Pacific region countries is facing extensive challenges from climate change. Bangladesh's agriculture is also facing the effects of climate change.

In these circumstances, this conference will help boost mutual cooperation among member countries and the opportunity to share knowledge, technology, and experience among them, he added.

FAO and the agriculture ministry jointly organised the four-day conference in Dhaka which will end on 11 March.

At the conference, Jong-Jin Kim, assistant director-general of FAO, said, "We will give greater importance to four issues for regional cooperation." 

He said, "A sustainable agricultural food management system will be established for additional production, improved nutrition, a better environment, and a better life. We will give priority to the sustainable use of natural resources and climate-resilient agro-food systems with biodiversity protection." 

On the first day of the conference, member country delegates of the Asia Pacific region discussed various issues, including the state of food and agriculture in the region in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, actions to promote climate-resilient agriculture-food systems, and setting up inclusive digitalisation in agricultural value chains, said the FAO.

The discussions will help take decisions to deal with the worldwide decline in food and agricultural production due to the pandemic, it added. 

FAO further says the conference also discussed the progress of innovation, science, and digitalisation which will help the conversion of agricultural food systems.