Southeast Asia

Singapore-based Grab has recently selected 10 early-stage start-ups to join its second Grab Ventures Velocity accelerator program, which focuses on companies that either help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) or farmers in Southeast Asia. The start-ups, which are involved in the empowerment of MSMEs, include MyCash Online, PergiUmroh, Porter, Qoala and Tamasia while the remaining… Read more

Innovation, access to rural credit – particularly for women – and improvements to rural social protection programmes are important tools to help family farmers in Southeast Asia improve their livelihoods and become more food secure, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) said today. Representatives from countries of Southeast Asia are meeting in Jakarta to discuss… Read more

Rome: Urgent action is needed to address soil pollution and contain the multiple threats it poses to global food safety and food security, the UN Food...Read more at: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/health/health-news/increased-soil-contamination-threatens-food-security-warns-fao-1.3370796 Read more

Asia’s appetite for meat and seafood protein will rise by an astounding 78% by 2050, driven by growing wealth and urbanization in the region. Read more. Read more

Malnutrition is a global plague. However, it is a more acute problem specifically in the Asian region. According to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank Group, more than half of all stunted children, almost half of all overweight children and more than two-thirds of all wasted children live in the region. Stunting is defined… Read more

A first-of-its-kind global study shows that children in 27 developing countries have better nutrition—when they live near forests. The results turn on its head the common assumption that improving nutrition in poorer countries requires clearing forests for more farmland—and, instead, suggest that forest conservation could be an important tool for aid agencies seeking to improve… Read more

Three processes drive modernization: a structural transformation of the economy with agriculture playing a lesser role as the country gets richer, an agricultural transformation that raises the sector’s productivity and produces a more diversified output, and a dietary transformation that occurs when consumers become richer and can afford to choose from a greater variety of foods. That these… Read more

UN-sponsored World Tuna Day 2018 promotes sustainable tuna fishing and highlights the importance of preserving marine ecosystems for this vital food source. The “Coral Triangle” in the western Pacific supports large populations of tuna, fuelling the multi-billion-dollar global tuna industry. But the fish’s numbers in the region are declining at an alarming rate, primarily due to human… Read more

Misconceptions surrounding low- / non-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) may be slowing progress when it comes to minimizing the incidence of diabetes and obesity in Southeast Asia. Read more… Read more

SINGAPORE — The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Bayer signed an agreement confirming Bayer’s participation in the Direct Seeded Rice Consortium (DSRC) led by IRRI. The DSR Consortium is working to develop a comprehensive, science-based, agronomic package adapted for direct-seeded rice production in Asia, making direct seeded rice accessible and widely available to rice… Read more