Agricultural transformation and food security in developing Asia: past successes, present challenges, and future policy options

During the last half century, developing Asia witnessed a spectacular economic transformation, which involved a remarkable increase in GDP, a substantial decrease in poverty and hunger, and improved social indicators. Although export-led manufacturing spearheaded this process, agriculture played a pivotal role in most countries. However, abject poverty and food insecurity - measured by indicators such as the dollar-a-day poverty or undernourishment index- have declined, but the war against poverty was far from won. The dual shock of Covid-19 and the Ukraine-Russia conflict has arrested the progress in poverty and food insecurity, thwarting the UN Sustainable Development Goal to eliminate hunger by 2030. Along with discussing the ADB’s role in supporting agriculture and food security in Asia, the chapter concludes by examining some salient policy issues for agriculture development and food security.Agricultural transformation; structural change; export-led manufacturing; poverty; hunger; food security in Asia