Conflict and climate extremes threaten Asia's food security outlook

Asia's food security faces mounting threats from multiple converging crises, according to risk analysis firm Verisk Maplecroft. Disruptions to fuel and fertiliser supplies stemming from Middle East tensions are compounding agricultural challenges across South and Southeast Asia, where many nations rely heavily on imported inputs.

Simultaneously, El Niño-driven weather extremes are damaging crop yields at a critical moment. The combination of supply-side pressures on essential agricultural inputs and demand-side shocks from adverse weather patterns is expected to intensify food inflation across economies already grappling with inflationary pressures.

Countries dependent on imported fertilisers and fuel for mechanised farming face particular vulnerability. Any sustained disruption to global energy and commodity markets would amplify existing vulnerabilities in regional food systems, affecting both agricultural producers and consumers across South and Southeast Asia.

The dual pressure from geopolitical instability and climate volatility underscores the fragility of food systems in the region, where many nations struggle with limited strategic reserves and constrained fiscal capacity to absorb price shocks. Policymakers are increasingly focused on building resilience and exploring alternative supply chains to insulate domestic markets from external shocks.