Using an interdisciplinary approach, this book evaluates the complex nexus between climate change and regional food security in Asia Pacific. Feeding the planet puts a lot of stress on the environment. The fundamental challenges we are facing today include how to grow more from less in a sustainable manner; how to optimize the entire food value chain from field to fork to reduce the carbon footprint, protect the environment and support biological diversity, cause less water pollution and soil erosion, raise levels of nutrition, improve agricultural productivity, better the lives of rural populations and contribute to the growth of the world economy. With a robust multi-site study in Southeast Asia, Pacific Island Forum and South Asia, this book examines the regional initiatives on, the current state of, and the future prospects for mitigations and resilience regarding climate change and food security vis-à-vis other regions of the world.

This synthesis report is the result of close, collaborative research initiated by the Asian Development Bank in partnership with Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada; the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation; and the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the University of British Columbia. Fourteen background papers were commissioned to investigate food security issues particularly pertinent for Asia and the Pacific. The report synthesizes and collates the primary findings from these papers to articulate key policy challenges and opportunities related to food security in the region.

Ensuring a secure supply of food is essential, given the world's (and especially Asia's) growing population, high and volatile food prices, increasingly scarce resources, and changing environment. This publication discusses the drivers behind food insecurity in Asia and points to ways to mitigate it.

This book makes an important and timely contribution to debates about the relationship between climate change and security in Southeast Asia. It does so through a human security lens, drawing on local and regional expertise to discuss the threats that climate change poses to human security in Southeast Asia and to show how a human security approach draws attention to the importance of adaptation and strategies for social resilience. In doing so, it exposes the consequences of climate change, the impact on community rights and access, the special problem of border areas, before going on to investigate local and regional strategies for addressing the human security challenges of climate change.

The Pacific developing member countries (DMCs) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are a diverse array of countries with widely varying topographies, cultures and economies, fragile natural resource environments, and prosperity, stability, and security that can be compromised by the impacts and consequences of climate change. The Pacific island governments view climate change as a priority issue, especially in terms of its potential impacts on food security, and need clear directions in addressing both issues. This report describes the present state of food security and its contributing factors in the Pacific region, assesses its prospects amid the growing threats and likely impacts of climate change, and presents potential areas for more active assistance, investments, and interventions from ADB and other development partners. While technical and policy measures to ensure food security amid the ensuing climate change are numerous, interrelated, and complex, the successful implementation of programs and projects calls for simple and flexible designs that carefully consider the capabilities of relevant stakeholders at the regional, national, and local levels.

The Asian Development Bank hosted the Asia-Pacific Rural Development and Food Security Forum 2022 to prompt governments to provide leadership to rethink the future of agriculture amid complex and evolving challenges; explore new research, innovations, and technologies to build nature-positive food systems; and forge partnerships and collaboration to mobilize financing for innovation, research, and business for food and nutrition security. This publication provides the forum’s key highlights and takeaways on sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems, financing for sustainable agriculture and natural capital, nutrition security, and the rural–urban divide, and offers recommendations for moving forward.

The study is focused on the impact food insecurity on the Asia-Pacific region and how to deal with it. Access to food and not the supply of food is central to food security. Thus, Governments need to develop and strengthen social protection programmes and improve the availability of food at the national and local levels. In the medium term, it is critical to support the revitalization of small-scale sustainable food production. The study examines the environmental, economic and social challenges that are the roots of the region.

Climate change is causing unprecedented damage to our ecosystem. Increasing temperatures, ocean warming and acidification, severe droughts, wildfires, altered precipitation patterns, melting glaciers, rising sea levels and amplification of extreme weather events have direct implications for our food systems. While the impacts of such environmental factors on food security are well known, the effects on food safety receive less attention. The purpose of Climate change: Unpacking the burden on food safety is to identify and attempt to quantify some current and anticipated food safety issues that are associated with climate change. The food safety hazards considered in the publication are foodborne pathogens and parasites, harmful algal blooms, pesticides, mycotoxins and heavy metals with emphasis on methylmercury. There is also, a dedicated section on the benefits of forward-looking approaches such as horizon scanning and foresight, which will not only aid in anticipating future challenges in a shifting global food safety landscape, but also help build resilient food systems that can be continually updated as more knowledge is assimilated. By building a more widespread and better understanding of the consequences climate change has on food safety, it is hoped that this document will aid in fostering stronger international cooperation in making our food safer by reducing the global burden of these concerns.

Commissioned by the Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) of the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), this book offers a detailed survey of the current status of climate change and climate variability in the Asia-Pacific region, a thorough and thoughtful assessment of climate and security and clear recommendations on the best paths of climate research in the future.