The state of food and agriculture
in Asia and the Pacific region 2008

RAP PUBLICATION 2008/03

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific





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The designation and presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries.

All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for sale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders. Applications for such permission should be addressed to Mr. Kinlay Dorjee, Economist, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand or by e-mail to david.dawe@fao.org.

© FAO 2008

Photo credits: Cover photos from top left to bottom right are courtesy of:
FAO/13504/I. De Borhegyi
FAO/17322/N. Rubery
FAO/17013/G. Bizzarri
FAO/17955/J. Y. Piel

All inside photos not on the cover are courtesy of FAO/P. Johnson.


For copies write to:
Mr. Kinlay Dorjee
Economist
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Maliwan Mansion, 39 Phra Atit Road
Bangkok 10200
THAILAND
Tel: (+66) 2 697 4000
Fax: (+66) 2 697 4445
E-mail: david.dawe@fao.org

Abstract

This publication focuses on the state of food and agriculture in Asia and the Pacific and is a complement to The State of Food and Agriculture published by FAO headquarters in Rome which concentrates on global issues. This is the second issue of the series which highlights both the challenges and opportunities to food security in the region. The first part of the publication examines hunger and poverty in the region, changes in dietary patterns, agricultural commodity trends, and the outlook for the future, including the major challenges that need to be addressed. The second part provides a special focus on the new "gold rush": biofuels development in Asia and the Pacific. As biofuels are likely to have a major influence on agricultural commodity prices and rural incomes for some time to come, the status of biofuels development in the region is assessed. The main focus of the analysis is on the potential effects of the demand for biofuels on regional household food security.