Notwithstanding its impressive economic growth, food insecurity in South Asia continues to be a stark reality for a large number of households. Despite several successful policy interventions by Governments, the number of malnourished children and adults remain alarmingly high in the region – higher than those in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The NSS consumer expenditure survey (CES) aims at generating estimates of average household monthly per capita consumer expenditure (MPCE), its distribution over households and persons, and its break-up by commodity group, at national and State/UT level, and for different socio-economic groups.

This briefing gives a summary of how agrofuels impact food prices and what this means for the world’s poorest people.

The October 2012 World Economic Outlook (WEO) assesses the prospects for the global recovery in light of such risks as the ongoing euro area crisis and the "fiscal cliff" facing U.S. policymakers.

New research provides the latest numbers behind ethanol’s toll on global food prices—$11.6 billion in higher prices for corn importing countries over a period of six years. More than half, $6.6 billion, of that was borne by developing nations, where a high percentage of household income is spent on food.

This new OXFAM report shows that between 2000 and 2010 more than 60% of investments in agricultural land made by foreign investors occurred in developing countries with serious hunger problems. The crops produced on this land were either exported or used for biofuel production.