The unprecedented COVID-19 crisis comes with a dire economic outlook. South Asia might well experience its worst economic performance in 40 years. The harsh reality of inequality in South Asia is that poor people are more likely to become infected with the coronavirus, as social distancing is difficult to implement for them.

It is important to assess the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, although the pandemic is at a less advanced stage in Africa, due to its lesser quantity of international migrants’ arrivals relatively to Asia, Europe, and North America and strong precaution measures in some African countries.

Growth in the region is expected to slow sharply to 2.2% in 2020 under the effects of the current health emergency and then rebound to 6.2% in 2021.

The unfolding COVID-19 pandemic is so far having little impact on the global food supply chain, but that could change for the worse – and soon – if anxiety-driven panic by major food importers takes hold, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned.

Food Supply chain is a complex web of interactions and of actors: producers, inputs, transportation, processing plants, shipping, etc. § As the virus spreads and cases mount, and block downs increase there are seemingly countless ways the food system will be tested and strained in the coming weeks and months.

Poor dietary quality is a significant risk factor for stunting and micronutrient deficiencies among young children and globally one of the leading causes of premature death and disease (Arimond & Ruel, 2004; Forouzanfar et al., 2015). Dietary quality is typically proxied by diversity of the consumed diet.

This report analyzes the impacts of agricultural challenges in Asia and the Pacific. It also identifies investments required in different subsectors to achieve food security in the region by 2030. About 518 million people in Asia and the Pacific suffered from hunger in 2017—1 million more than in the previous year.

Zimbabwe is facing extreme levels of food insecurity and the situation is likely to deteriorate in the coming months. According to the latest Vulnerability Assessment Committee’s (VAC) evaluation, an estimated 4.7 million people are in need of food assistance between October and December 2019.

Agricultural development has historically focused on poverty reduction and food security but is now increasingly asked to help improve nutrition. Despite this strengthened nutritional mandate, agricultural policies and programs have struggled to develop effective, scalable and cost-effective approaches for reducing undernutrition.