After two decades of impressive economic growth, Asia has changed beyond all recognition. As lives have improved, the prevalence of hunger and poor nutrition has fallen consistently.
These welcome trends, however, have been brought to a jarring halt by the pandemic outbreak. Rising food prices caused by pandemic supply chain disruption have been exacerbated by the war in Ukraine. Those facing hunger in Asia reached an estimated 425 million people in 2021, 25 percent more than in 2019.