UN says dairy a potential ally in Asia nutrition challenges

Milk and other dairy products have become an unexpected ally in the fight against Asia's newest dietary challenges: obesity, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, according to a report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization released Tuesday.

On top of still-persistent undernourishment in South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh, only seven out of 19 developing Asian countries are now on track to reach the UN FAO's bold goal of "zero hunger".

The main beneficiaries have been small farmers, who produce nearly 80 percent of the milk in Asia, because of low costs and a more equal distribution of cows and goats — in contrast to farmland, which can be dominated by big landowners.

More dairy cattle also means more manure, a potential threat to water supplies — meaning good policy is needed in the decades ahead, says FAO officials.