FOOD INSECURITY IN MYANMAR

How can it be ensured that food is evenly distributed in Myanmar?

INTRODUCTION
This report is written to outline the issue of food insecurity in Myanmar and possible course
of actions towards it, in terms of national, local and personal efforts. The information and
statistics in this have been extracted from reliable sources, such as reports from the United
Nations, IFPRI and WFP organisations.

ISSUE
Food Insecurity is an uprising major concern
all over the world, affecting an increasing
number of people each year. For instance, an
astonishing incline of over 4 percent can be
seen between 2022 (11%) and 2014 (7.7%)
according to Statista. Today, the World Food
Security Outlook has reported that despite
having undergone a marginal improvement,
the risks of short-term food insecurity are yet
projected to reach 956 million by 2028.

Triggered by multiple factors, such as political

conflicts, wars, economic decline, persisting poverty and “climate shocks”, this issue has
also troubled the country of Myanmar on a national level in the current humanitarian crisis. In
fact, as of 2022-23, there was a severe plunge in food maintenance and nourishment, with
hunger rates at its peak in Chin State (10.1%) and Rakhine State (7.6%) whilst in all of
Myanmar, it has, in essence, affected approximately 13 million people in total, including
young and old people as per the research paper published by IFPRI (International Food
Policy Research Institution) in 2023. It is further addressed that insufficient dietary habits in
the adult sector have risen significantly from 20.6% to 27.1% over the interval. Thus, it is
imperative for everyone to incorporate in solving the problem.
COURSE OF ACTION
National Level
So far, the Myanmar government has taken
several measures to control food insecurity.
One of them was the provision of aid
toward 4,700 farmers in six Chin townships
in April 2022 by the UN Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO),
cooperating with the Central Emergency
Response Fund, that granted them MMK
170,000 (USD 95) for food and
fundamental needs. [United Nations, 2022].
Another significant act is the restoration of
irrigational industry that has spurred
Myanmar’s agricultural productivity and food availability.

Nonetheless, these have only had a marginal effect on the country’s overall food insecurity,
predominantly worsening in most parts of Myanmar. For instance, as of April 2022-23, more
than 3% of Burmese households have suffered from “moderate to severe” hunger. These
statistics have led to a conclusion that more actions need to be taken for sweeping changes.

A prominent method is to adopt the potato crop system. In many countries, today, potatoes
have been widely cultivated due to its versatility and adaptability, thereby enhancing food
accessibility, usage and quality. Its high productive rate and capacity to supply nutrition and
to grow in different cropping structures could also consequently diminish food insecurity.
[Devaux, A., Goffart, JP., Kromann, P. et al., 2021]

Another strategy is to reduce food wastes which can not only stabiles food availability, but
can also lower the strain placed upon land and water resources. This ideology is likely to
be indeed reliable, deducing from a study conducted in the World Resources Institute that
explained a massive food loss of over 1 billion tonnes,
equating to “24% of world’s food supply being wasted
uneaten.”

An alternative approach is to address the issue of climate

change and diminish greenhouse effects on the Earth’s
climate. This could become practical due to the country’s
proneness to hazards of climate change, such as the case
of Cyclone Mocha, caused by the excess of ocean heat at
the Bay of Bengal, that destroyed the farmland, plantations and housings in Rakhine State in
May 2023 according to 2023 United Nations Development Programme report.
Local Level
Numerous efforts have been made in local
communities as well. One such instance is the launch
of emergent food and nutrition programmes by local
districts in collaboration with the World Food
Programme. These programmes that help places
affected by violence and displacement have been
installed in Chin, Southern Shan and Bago Regions,
assisting around 360,000 people in border areas.
[World Food Programme, 2024]

Nonetheless, more can be done to undertake the issue of food insecurity. For example, local
farmers could foster practices of crop rotations and organic farming. These were proven
beneficial during the Agricultural Revolution when this technique was first introduced and
became widely exploited due to its high agricultural productivity and ability to enhance soil
fertility [Fun Biology].

However, food security also regards the nutritious quality of people’s diets, to which can be
often attended by the foundation of schools that integrate nutrition education.

As per a plan proposed by the Myanmar Development

Observatory, such programmes have been immensely
successful in Brazil, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Mali, Sri Lanka
and Vietnam, improving infant and young child feeding (IYCF)
practices and informing the best food choices in households.
Hence, it is believed to be an advantageous and a possible
option to develop these schools in Burmese communities
alike, with help from the government and local councils.

Personal Level
In a personal perspective, there are, likewise, insurmountable
measures one could take by themselves as in the report from
EIT Food. For instance, at their own homes, they can lower
unnecessary food waste, and rather share it with beggars and homeless on the streets or
keep them fresh for the next day. On the other hand, it is concurrently important not to
overuse the food resources as it could rapidly endanger the availability of the country’s
natural resources.

Another prevalent approach is to increase nutrition

education and inform people better about the current
challenges by making posters and billboards. In such
manner, it would be more straightforward to input a
sense of urgency and incorporate participation of
numerous people. One such paradigm is the
collaborated foundation of FoodEducators, an EIT food
programme that “promote healthy and sustainable
choices” amid teenagers.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the issue of food insecurity is an acute problem in Myanmar that has not only
shrunk the nation’s food resources, but has also lessened their quality. Therefore, it is
extremely incumbent for everyone to take certain measures to reverse its grave effects.

CITATIONS
Myanmar Agricultural Policy Support Activity (2023) The state of food security and nutrition
in Myanmar 2022-23: Findings from five rounds of the Myanmar Household Welfare Survey
[Online] https://www.ifpri.org/publication/state-food-security-and-nutrition-myanmar-2022-23-
findings-five-rounds-myanmar#:~:text=Overall%2C%20the%20state%20of%20food,and
%20Kayin%20(5.9%20percent) (Accessed Date: 01/ 02/2024)

Andree, B., Lee, K., Ahmed, H., Dearborn, J. (29/ 01/ 2024) Food security trends in 2024
and beyond [Online] https://blogs.worldbank.org/agfood/food-security-trends-2024-and-
beyond (Accessed Date: 01/ 02/ 2024)

United Nations Myanmar (08/ 06/ 2024) Responding to Myanmar’s growing food security
crisis [Online] https://myanmar.un.org/en/185217-responding-myanmar%E2%80%99s-
growing-food-security-crisis (Accessed Date: 05/ 02/ 2024)

World Food Programme (2024) Emergency Myanmar [Online]

https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/myanmar-emergency (Accessed Date: 05/ 02/ 2024)

Goodwin, L. (20/ 04/ 2024) Food Loss and Waste, and How to Do It [Online]
https://www.wri.org/insights/reducing-food-loss-and-food-waste
(Accessed Date: 05/ 02/ 2024)

Sabhadiya, A. (n.d) What Role Did Crop Rotation Play In The Agricultural Revolution?
[Online] https://www.funbiology.com/what-role-did-crop-rotation-play-in-the-agricultural-
revolution/#google_vignette (Accessed Date: 09/ 02/ 2024)

Myanmar Development Observatory (December 2023) STRENGTHENING FOOD

SECURITY IN MYANMAR [Online] https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2023-
12/undp_mmr_strengthening_food_security_in_myanmar_dec_2023_v2.pdf
(Accessed Date: 09/ 02/ 2024)

EIT Food (03/ 07/ 2024) 4 ways to tackle food insecurity [Online]
https://www.eitfood.eu/blog/4-ways-to-tackle-food-insecurity#:~:text=Here%20are
%204%20ways%20to,activism%20and%20supporting%20vulnerable%20populations.
(Accessed Date: 09/ 02/ 2024)

Devaux, A., Goffart, JP., Kromann, P., Andrade-Piedra, J., Polar, V., Hareau, G.
(24/ 07/ 2021) The Potato of the Future: Opportunities and Challenges in Sustainable Agri-
food Systems [Online] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11540-021-09501-4
(Accessed Date: 09/ 02/ 2024)