Climate Change Working Paper 10 - Pakistan Institute of Development ...

Climate Change Working Paper Series No. 10

Food Security and its Constraining Factors in South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities Munir Ahmad Muhammad Iqbal Umar Farooq

IDRC CRDI International Development Research Centre Centre de recherches pour le développement international

Climate Change Working Papers No. 10

Food Security and its Constraining Factors in South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities

Munir Ahmad Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad

Muhammad Iqbal Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad and

Umar Farooq Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad

PAKISTAN INSTITUTE OF DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS ISLAMABAD

2015

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Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Islamabad, Pakistan E-mail: Website: http://www.pide.org.pk Fax: +92-51-9248065

CONTENTS Page Abstract

v

1. Introduction

1

2. What is Food Security?

3

3. Food Security Situation in South Asia

4

4. Causes of Food Insecurity in South Asia

11

4.1. Population Growth

11

4.2. Rural Urban Divide and Food Inflation

12

4.3. Low Agricultural Yields and Factor Productivity

13

4.4. Structural Transformations and Institutions

16

4.5. Access to Land and Water Resources

18

4.6. Climate Change

20

5. Agricultural and Food Security Policies

22

6. Regional Collaboration for Food Security: A Way Forward

24

7. Concluding Remarks

27

Appendices

28

References

30 List of Tables

Table 1. Rural Population (% of Total Population)

2

Table 2. Share of Agriculture in GDP (%)

2

Table 3. Trends in Poverty Prevalence in South Asia

7

Table 4. Prevalence of Malnutrition in Different Countries of South Asia

8

Table 5. Population Growth Rates in SAARC Region

12

Table 6. South Asian Countries’ Wheat and Rice Paddy ields gaps from the Highest Yields Realised in the World (%)

14

Table 7. Growth Rates of Wheat and Rice Yields (%)

15

Table 8. Growth Accounting, 1960-200

16

Table 9. Allocations to Agricultural R&D in South Asia and Other Developed World

17

Table 10. Average Farm Size by Categories of Farms in South Asia

19

Page List of Figures Figure 1.

Cereals Production Index

5

Figure 1a. Cereals’ ield and Poverty

5

Figure 2.

Supply of Cereals per Capita per Annum (kilogram)

5

Figure 3.

Total Calories per day per capita

6

Figure 4.

Supply of Proteins (g/day/cap)

6

Figure 5.

Supply of Fats (g/day/cap)

6

Figure 6.

Cereals Imports Dependency Ratio

6

Figure 7.

Poverty Trends @1.25$

7

Figure 8.

Poverty Trends @ $2.0

7

Figure 9.

Per Capita Income and Poverty

8

Figure 10. Global Hunger Index

9

Figure 11. Proportion of Undernourished People (%)

9

Figure 12. Proportion of Undernourished Children < 5 Years

9

Figure 13. Mortality Rate Under 5 Years

9

Figure 14. Wasting in Total Children < 5 Population (%)

9

Figure 15. %age Stunted Children < 5 Years

9

Figure 16. Trend of Energy Intake (K.Cal./Capita/Day in Pakistan

10

Figure 17. Trend of Protein (Gram./Capita/Day) Intake in Pakistan

10

Figure 18. Trends of Lipid Fat (Gram/Capita/Day) in Pakistan

11

Figure 19. Domestic Food Price Level Index

11

Figure 20. Age Structure in South Asian Countries (%)

12

Figure 21. Proportion of Rural Population (%)

13

Figure 22. TFP Growth Rates (%)

16

Figure 23. Graphical Presentation of Share of Agricultural Labour

18

Figure 24. Per Capita Availability of Arable Land (Hect)

19

Figure 25. Countries Color Coded According to Water Availability for Food Self-sufficiency. Those with