FAO: Virus hits Asian food security, as millions go hungry
ABC News
A United Nations report says the prolonged pandemic and surging prices are undermining food security for millions of people in Asia
BANGKOK -- The prolonged pandemic and surging prices are undermining food security for millions of people in Asia, with 1.8 billion lacking access to healthy diets, a report by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization said Wednesday.
The report says access to food worsened in 2020 and deteriorated further this year as governments struggled to keep outbreaks at bay by restricting travel and other activities.
With progress toward alleviating hunger stalling, the FAO is urging comprehensive measures to improve food security, part of a push toward what experts call a “food systems" approach.
David Dawe, senior economist at the FAO's regional office for Asia and the Pacific, said the organization's food price index rose by nearly a third in the past year. The price of vegetable oils, which are critical for health, soared 74%, he said.
