"Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. (FAO)

Myanmar is one of the largest and poorest countries in Southeast Asia. Nationwide surveys in 2010 found 25% of the population to be living below the national poverty line with rural poverty close to double that found in urban areas: Chin, eastern Shan and Rakhine have the highest poverty incidence.  More than one-third of child deaths are due to under-nutrition and 35% of children under the age of five have been found to be stunted or short for their age. An estimated 17% of households are food-insecure and one-third of rural households borrow at some point during the year in order to purchase food. 

Key issues constraining economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction are limited rural development with the poor condition of the rural road network, inadequate access to irrigation facilities and agricultural inputs, limited rural electrification, nontransparent market mechanisms and lack of market information; lack of access to credit, and an ineffective land tenure system.