Of the 767.9 million undernourished globally, 43% can be found in Southern Asia. Although prevalence of undernourishment (PoU) fell from 14.3% in 2000 to 7.3% in 2019, progress slowed due to climate change. It worsened during COVID-19, rising in the Asia-Pacific from 370 million in 2020 to 396 million in 2021. The current PoU increase to 9% highlights the region’s food systems’ lack of resilience (FAO, 2023). By 2050, the food supply must nearly double sustainably to feed 10 billion people in the world. Smallholder farmers in developing countries face low productivity, limited access to resources, and climate risks. Precision agriculture has the potential to enhance productivity, increase resources access and mitigate climate change risks as it enables efficiency/cuts cost, minimises environmental impact, and boosts profitability on issues related to agriculture.
        The above highlights the global importance of food security, particularly in developing or densely populated countries like Indonesia, Maldives, and Thailand, which are PASEC project partners. Food security is a critical priority for these nations to meet the needs of their growing populations. However, they face unique challenges, such as limited resources, climate change vulnerability, and inefficient agricultural practices, making them vital in the global pursuit of food security and climate action. Adopting “precision agriculture,” involving modern digital technologies, presents a transformative solution. It optimizes resource use to boost productivity, enhances resilience to climate variability, and reduces environmental impacts by minimizing waste, conserving water, and cutting CO2 emissions through better fertilizer and pesticide management. Focusing on developing countries, these innovations can significantly improve livelihoods, sustainability, and environmental outcomes. This highlights the importance of initiatives like PASEC, which aim to close technological gaps and address the interconnected challenges of food security and climate change in vulnerable regions.
        Implementing precise agriculture is addressing the key Sustainable Development of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (2. Zero hunger, 4. Quality education, 5. Gender equality, 11. Sustainable cities and communities, 12. Responsible consumption and production and 13. Climate change) and corresponds to E+ regional priorities (related to climate & energy, education and digitalization respectively) and Global Gateway priorities (being South-East Asia’s transition to a green economy, better access to essential services, and economic opportunities and jobs) for PASEC participating countries Indonesia, Maldives and Thailand!