The consequences of poor nutrition extend beyond the health and development of individuals. Malnutrition in all its forms – undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity – is also a social and economic problem.

The 2016 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Report on Nutrition Security reported that an alarming proportion of children, adolescents and adults in the region suffer from malnutrition and consume poor-quality diets in the region. In recognition of the potential public health and socioeconomic consequences of inaction on malnutrition, the ASEAN Leaders Declaration on Ending All Forms of Malnutrition was adopted in 2017 and the ASEAN Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Nutrition 2018–2030 was subsequently formulated to operationalize the Declaration. The development of a recurring ASEAN Food and Nutrition Security Report – to be published every five years – was included in the Strategic Framework and Action Plan. Five years after the inaugural report, this ASEAN Food and Nutrition Security Report 2021, Volume 1 provides a snapshot of progress on nutrition in ASEAN Member States and offers recommendations on the way forward over the next five-year period. Volume 2 of this report presents data-driven Food and Nutrition Security Profiles for each of the 10 ASEAN Member States.