Boosting Asian nutrition must target caste, gender and rural disparities, finds ADBI analysis

The Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) has analyzed nutrition issues across Asia, suggesting policy interventions that address deeper regional socio-political issues based on specific diets, demographics, population, and culture. With its authors, Nutrition Insight discusses ADBI’s new book, revealing insights to help boost Asian nutrition security and health. 

Divided into two parts, the book explores the intersections of food security, well-being, and inequality, alongside the role of agricultural policies in shaping nutritional choices and outcomes. 

Chapters explore the importance of wellness in Indonesia, food insecurity among casual wage workers in Pakistan, barriers to adequate dairy consumption in Indian households, and COVID-19’s impact on food security in Vietnam.

Others look at India’s National Dairy Plan, which improves children’s nutritional outcomes, the organic food consumption drivers in Vietnam, and the importance of pulses in India.

Emotional well-being interventions in rural areas

ADBI experts discuss how focusing on emotional well-being can change how nutrition interventions for rural communities are designed.

The ADBI is calling for nutrition policies across Asia that address deep-rooted social and emotional factors alongside food access.“Focusing on emotional well-being can significantly enhance the design and impact of nutrition interventions in rural communities. As highlighted in the ADBI book Navigating Food Security and Nutritional Challenges, food insecurity is not just a matter of physical access or economic constraints but also psychological health, social inclusion, and overall well-being,” says the think tank’s consultant economist, Raja Rajendra Timilsina.

Dil Rahut, vice-chair of research and senior research fellow, adds: “Integrating emotional and social dimensions into nutrition programs can improve participation, reduce stigma, strengthen community support systems, and recognize the critical role of emotional health.”

The experts believe emotional approaches lead to better health results and stronger and more empowered communities.

The first chapter of ADBI’s book reveals the link between subjective well-being, food security, and nutritional status among Indonesian adults.

Food prices hit urban informal workers

The book’s second chapter reveals that rising food prices impact urban informal workers more than rural ones in Pakistan. It challenges the assumption that rural regions face higher food insecurity and poverty than metropolitan areas.

The book explores how well-being, gender inequality, and informal employment shape food security outcomes in countries like India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Indonesia.“Rising food prices disproportionately impact urban informal workers, who depend almost entirely on market purchases and often lack access to robust social safety nets,” comments Timilsina. 

“Unlike many rural households that can rely on subsistence farming or community-based coping mechanisms, urban informal workers spend a larger share of their incomes on food, leaving them highly vulnerable to price shocks.” 

According to Rahut, the majority of social protection programs now offer formal employment to rural residents. However, they fail to account for this group’s special needs. 

“This highlights the urgent need for more inclusive and flexible safety nets, such as digital cash transfers and targeted urban food assistance, to effectively support their vulnerabilities.”

KE Seetha Ram, senior consulting specialist for Capacity Building and Training Projects at ADBI, points to the greater plight of informal workers.

“Informal workers in urban areas, particularly migrant workers from rural regions, face numerous challenges, such as a lack of permanent residence and the absence of extended family support, typically available in rural areas.”

“Although the absolute income for informal work in urban settings might be higher, the net or disposable income is often not significantly higher and can even be lower than in rural areas. Additionally, the basic cost of living, especially food expenses, is higher in urban areas, exacerbating the difficulty for informal workers to obtain proper nutrition.”

Experts argue that agricultural and nutrition programs must prioritize emotional health, affordability, and social inclusion to be effective.
Meanwhile, the chapter also reveals gender disparity, with women facing lower dietary diversity and food consumption than men, and women in urban areas who have better employment opportunities. It recommends regionally specific and gender-sensitive policy interventions for alleviating poverty.

Dairy production, consumption, and accessibility

A chapter in the book examines India’s dairy consumption, since, being a majority vegetarian population, it is a major source of animal protein. Despite the nation being the world’s largest milk producer, affordability still limits access.

“India continues to face significant affordability barriers that limit access for low-income households. While dairy production has grown substantially, nutritional benefits have not reached the poorest segments, as policies have largely prioritized production, rural livelihoods, and farmer income stability,” explains Timilsina.

Rahut continues: “These goals, though important, often overlook the needs of nutritionally vulnerable consumers. Current dairy policies tend to favor producers and agribusinesses, highlighting the need for a shift toward nutrition-sensitive approaches that incorporate affordability and access through targeted subsidies, school milk programs, and price controls on essential dairy products.”

The chapter reveals that per capita milk consumption is below the recommended 300 g per day, with varied rates among socioeconomic groups. It suggests that policy changes should address income and caste disparities rather than solely focusing on boosting milk’s general availability.

Pause on pulses

Timilsina and Rahut share that the book explores structural barriers keeping pulses, a traditional protein, off people’s plates despite growing awareness of health and sustainability.

“Despite increasing recognition of their health and environmental benefits, pulses remain under-consumed across much of Asia, even in regions where they have traditionally been dietary staples,” observes Timilsina.

The book explores structural barriers keeping pulses, a traditional protein, off people’s plates despite growing awareness of health and sustainability. “This is largely due to agricultural policies that heavily favor staple grains like rice and wheat through subsidies and procurement programs while offering limited support for pulses.”

Rahut explains that these factors keep pulse production low, supply chains weak, and prices volatile — “making them less accessible and affordable.” 

“Addressing these structural barriers requires integrating pulses into public procurement and national nutrition strategies by rebranding them as modern, climate-resilient, and health-promoting protein sources to restore their role in daily diets.”

Chapter seven highlights the importance of pulses in food security in India as it undergoes a nutrition transition — from “traditional food grain-based diets to more processed and animal-based foods.” Pulse consumption was found to drop across all income and socio-cultural groups in the country.

Agricultural policies as solutions?

The book suggests that agricultural policies can improve nutrition, but Timilsina and Rahut discuss the effectiveness of this solution in the face of caste, gender, and income inequalities.

“Agricultural policies cannot sustainably improve nutrition without addressing the entrenched inequalities of caste, gender, and income,” states Rahut. 

“Marginalized communities, especially women, lower caste groups, and the poor, often face systemic barriers such as unequal land ownership, limited access to credit and extension services, and exclusion from policy-making.”

Even well-intended interventions may unintentionally exacerbate pre-existing disparities due to these structural injustices, according to Timilsina. 

“Gender inequality further affects intra-household food allocation and caregiving, limiting the impact of nutrition programs unless agency is prioritized. Ultimately, nutrition-sensitive agriculture must be rooted in social justice, recognizing that food production and access are deeply political issues,” he concludes.