The project will estimate the minimum cost of a healthy diet and assess its affordability in the four focus countries in South (Nepal and Sri Lanka) and Southeast Asia (Cambodia and the Philippines) using National Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) aligned with WHO standards. It will analyze how external drivers, price inflation, climate shocks, and macroeconomic crises affect diet affordability and recommend policies to reduce barriers to nutritious diets. The study spans 12 months and includes data analysis, multi-country comparison, and stakeholder validation.

The primary objective of the proposed study is to assess the cost and affordability of a healthy diet in Cambodia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka using national dietary guidelines and WHO recommendations, to inform and guide policies and programs on how these are focused on improving physical and economic access to the foods needed for a healthy life.

The studies specific objectives are:

1. Analyze and assess the state of food security, undernutrition, and the cost of healthy diets in the study countries.
2. Determine the challenges/external factors of improving food and nutrition security, including the cost and affordability of healthy diets, and how these impact various groups in the countries.
3. Estimate the minimum cost of a healthy diet using national FBDGs and WHO recommendations.
4. Assess the affordability of a healthy diet relative to household income and food expenditures.
5. Identify and recommend policies to guide food and nutrition-related programs to be more nutrition sensitive and resilient to external shocks.

The project’s performance will be measured through milestones, each paired with clear evidence for verification. An inception workshop and a methodological guide will be completed and confirmed through the approved workshop agenda, minutes, participant list, finalized guide, and data-collection protocol shared with FAO. Reviews of the national Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) and the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) estimates for all four countries will be finalized, with the corresponding review documents, validated datasets, and metadata submitted as proof. Affordability analyses for each country will be completed and verified by submitting detailed analytical reports and supporting data files. Draft country reports and a regional comparative study will be delivered, as evidenced by the draft technical reports and peer-review records provided to FAO. Finally, the project will submit the comprehensive regional report, final country reports, four policy briefs, thoroughly cleaned datasets with metadata, financial statements, and the terminal report formally endorsed by SEARCA and FAO. These combined indicators and means of verification will ensure that progress can be objectively tracked and documented throughout the agreement.