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| Economic and Social Development |
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The Economic and Social Development Group covers three areas of work: Food Security, Agricultural Statistics and Gender.
Food Security
According to FAO estimates for 2003-05, Asia and the Pacific region is home to about two-thirds of the 832 million undernourished people in the developing world, 354 million of whom are in China and India alone. While there is no single formula to ensure food security, the production and distribution of food are key elements. The FAO regional office coordinates a wide range of activities related to improving food security at the household, regional and national levels. In particular FAO assists countries in identifying food-insecure and nutritionally vulnerable populations, collects information, and analyses regional and national social aspects of food and agricultural development.
Agricultural Statistics
Reliable agricultural statistics are vital for national planning and policy making on agriculture and food security. The FAO regional office monitors developments in the fields of food and agricultural statistics, assists in conducting agricultural censuses and surveys and works with other international and technical assistance agencies to facilitate cross-sectoral analyses. FAO's World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT) is one of the world's most comprehensive sources of agricultural information, enabling decision-makers and professionals to obtain and use information essential for achieving sustainable agricultural development and helping to combat hunger.
Gender, Equity and Rural Employment
In Asia and the Pacific region, gender-based discrimination is manifested in the unrelenting workload and continued undervaluation of women's social and economic contribution. Achievements in gender equality differ considerably throughout the region reflecting the overwhelming diversity in economic and human development indicators, both between and within countries. Rural women's right to productive resources – including social, health and agriculture service systems – is often accorded inadequate importance in development planning. The FAO regional office is working to ensure that women's rights are addressed in agriculture and rural development policies and programmes to combat hunger and poverty; provide gender-equal access to productive resources including capital, technology, and agriculture and rural development services to improve food security and livelihoods.
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| No meetings planned for the near future. |
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