Tag:Food Security

For Asia’s rice bowl, the coming months will be critical. Farmers, traders, and policymakers must prepare for a potentially volatile period that could test food security across the region.

When the combined forces of exorbitant fuel, fertiliser scarcity, and a parched monsoon hit this year’s harvest, the crisis will move directly from the barren fields to the kitchen tables of millions of Nepalis.

In its policy brief released on Monday, the UNDP described the conflict as “development in reverse”, cautioning that even a fragile ceasefire may not prevent long-lasting economic damage.

Despite the escalating emergency, the Taliban administration has continually sought to project an image of economic stability. Yet, the stark realities on the ground – shuttered trade routes, skyrocketing grocery bills, and overcrowded malnutrition clinics – tell a vastly different story.

Cereal production for 2025 was revised upward to a record 3,029 million tonnes – a 5.6 per cent leap – bolstered by favourable monsoons in South America and Africa.

Food security is at stake in a nation self-sufficient in rice production. The unregulated market risks artificial shortages, where hoarding drives spikes despite ample harvests. Without intervention, experts warn of potential vulnerabilities to climate shocks or global disruptions, as the system lacks resilience.

In an era of interconnected global challenges, initiatives like this remind us that food security is a shared responsibility. As Sanjeev Chopra aptly put it, India is committed to ensuring “no one goes hungry,” a pledge that resonates far beyond its borders.

With 2026 designated the Year of Water, Blue Davos seeks to shift perceptions – elevating water from a peripheral issue to a core developmental and economic priority.