Nearly half the world¡¯s undernourished population lives in Asia and the Pacific. By the end of 2023, 78 million people in the region faced acute food insecurity.
Through 12 case studies, this report examines how the Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG) analyses can be leveraged to enhance the ability of national social protection systems in addressing the affordability gaps of nutritious diets.
In the Philippines, Â鶹ÊÓƵ is working closely with the Government and communities to improve food security, nutrition, and resilience to shocks, aligned with national and local development priorities. These fact sheets provide an overview of Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s key programmes and priority focus areas under its new Country Strategic Plan 2024-2028.
The evaluation was commissioned by Â鶹ÊÓƵ independent Office of Evaluation to provide evaluative evidence for accountability and learning to inform the design of the next country strategic plan (CSP) in the Philippines.
This synthesis report presents an updated analysis of the social protection landscape in Asia and the Pacific and identifies priorities for enhancing both food security and nutrition and improving responses to risks and shocks. It draws on scoping studies commissioned by Â鶹ÊÓƵ exploring social protection in eight countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan) and one sub-region (Pacific Island Countries)
This report considers the state of rice fortification in 11 countries in South and Southeast Asia, with particular attention given to the potential for increased trade within the region in fortified rice and fortified rice kernels (FR/FRK) and the benefits that trade would bring.
The Philippines has been implementing mandatory rice fortification with iron with the passage of Republic Act (RA) 8976 or the Philippine Food Fortification Act on 7 November 2000 with full implementation in 2004.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ Philippines, with support from Japan-based partners from Â鶹ÊÓƵ, International Life Sciences Institute and DSM, decided to conduct a study on the overall rice fortification capacities, supply chain, and campaign initiatives in the Philippines.
The Philippines, with a population of 110.8 million in 2021, is one of the largest economies in Southeast Asia and grapples with high prevalence of hunger and malnutrition. Rice, as the primary staple in the country, is an appropriate food vehicle for fortification. However, the use of traditional technology, inefficiency in the local rice supply chain, and availability of cheaper imports exacerbated by the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) affected the self-sufficiency in rice production.
The development of a sustainable supply chain for fortified rice requires a clear, cross-ministerial collaboration and communication strategy. The success will depend on continuing advocacy and awareness building, business model development, restructuring of the mandatory fortification legislation and implementing a regulatory framework, and demand creation. The Philippines is in a good position to move to the next level of evolution.
In December 2020, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Strategy 3.0 (2021-2025) was approved by the SUN Movement Lead Group and is currently being operationalized by SUN countries at a national level.
Aligning with the Scaling up Nutrition Strategy 3.0, a strategic roadmap was developed to support the advancement of SUN Business Networks (SBN) in the Asia region, with the overall aim of increasing private sector engagement in nutrition. The SUN and SBN 3.0 strategies both recognize the need for a shift from a globally driven SUN Movement and SBN to ones that are centered at the national level, with strengthened support at the regional level.
The SBN roadmap for Asia articulates the way forward to engage the private sector and grow SBNs in Asia at country and regional levels, including through the establishment of a regional platform/ coordination mechanism to support national SBNs and identify opportunities with key regional players. It also describes additional opportunities for private sector engagement at the regional level, including strategic alignment with existing private sector-led coalitions and consortia such as the UN Global Compact.
Vulnerable populations in urban areas globally have been among the worst hit by the global COVID-19 crisis. In South and South-East Asia, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased levels of vulnerability and food insecurity in cities through disruptions to food supply chains, increased food prices and loss of income. In 2021, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ (Â鶹ÊÓƵ) Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBB) and Dikoda undertook an assessment to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on food systems in eight selected cities in the Asia/Pacific region. This research assesses the resilience and adaptability of urban food systems by exploring external drivers, food supply chains, food environments, individual factors, consumer behaviour and diet outcomes. The report triangulates findings between qualitative research carried out by Dikoda, Â鶹ÊÓƵ assessments and external sources to provide regional insights, as well as eight city-specific briefs on local-level impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerabilities. This report presents recommendations for improving policy-response to external shocks specific to urban South and South-East Asian contexts and methodological recommendations for better tracking of vulnerability in urban contexts.
This study analyzes the interconnectedness of climate change and food security in the Philippines, particularly the threats and the opportunities it presents to food, nutrition, and livelihood in rural and urban areas.
The Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) Recipe Book 2021 Revision is supplementary material for the rehabilitation of MAM, developed by Â鶹ÊÓƵ Philippines in collaboration with academia and key government agencies.
2020 was a challenging year for Â鶹ÊÓƵ in the Philippines, characterized by a series of emergencies and a nationwide lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, groundbreaking initiatives made 2020 a year of accomplishments as well. This visual report encapsulates Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s challenges and successful strides in the Philippines in 2020.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ piloted the implementation of Iron Fortified Rice through School Feeding in Maguindanao, Philippines. This report documents the results of the demonstrating the potential of Homegrown School Feeding as a model for scaled-up food fortification in BARMM and eventually in the whole country.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ launched an innovative research on social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) that aims to improve the nutrition situation in Maguindanao by addressing barriers which contribute to poor dietary practices in the region.
Through the climate and food security analysis, Â鶹ÊÓƵ aims to foresee the projected impacts of climate change on food security in the Philippines in 2030, 2050, and 2080, particularly in the areas of (1) food production, (2) access, (3) utilization and consumption, and (4) stability.
The Philippine Government created the Zero Hunger Task Force to spearhead its efforts in battling hunger and ending it by 2030. As the largest humanitarian agency battling hunger worldwide, Â鶹ÊÓƵ¡¯s activities in the Philippines are aligned with the initiative of the task force and its demonstrative arm, the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty.
The Food Security and Nutrition Roadmap of BARMM is product of collaboration between the Bangsamoro regional government and Â鶹ÊÓƵ. It is the region¡¯s blueprint towards a self-reliant, food secure, and resilient Bangsamoro.
This Synthesis of Operations Evaluations for the Asia and the Pacific Region brings together the findings of nine operations evaluations, conducted from mid-2013 to mid-2017.
