Media Updates, page-3457

SOME OTHER KEY POINTS FROM THE REPORT:Asia is urbanizing faster than any other region, and will house all of the world’s expected three 30 million+ cities and 65% of the world’s middle-class by 2030, according to the report, which cited the United Nations and Global Economic Development at Brookings.The region’s food spend will rise to more than $8 trillion by 2030 from $4 trillion this year, according to estimates in the report.Net imports of food have tripled since the turn of the century, and now stand at around 220 million tons a year, it said, citing the Food & Agriculture Organization.Current trends show growing populations and urbanization have led to high wastage and poor quality as supply chains are stretched and broken, the report said. Climate change and environmental degradation will hit Asia hardest, impacting available arable land, yields and farm output, exacerbating production challenges.