Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia (TAFSSA)

Home to a quarter of humanity-a fifth of whom are youth (15-24 years old)-South Asia carries the highest density of poverty and malnutrition globally. Despite producing over a quarter of the world’s consumed food, the region’s agri-food systems suffer from social, economic, and geographic inequalities, and face formidable environmental issues. Agri-food systems currently fail to produce an adequate and affordable supply of the diverse foods needed for sustainable healthy diets accessible to people of all means in all areas. Unhealthy food consumption is rising. Farming systems are threatened by unsustainable groundwater withdrawal (the region extracts a quarter of global groundwater) due to food and energy policy distortions. In addition, South Asia’s farmers are both contributors to and victims of climate change and extreme weather, which contributes to rural out-migration — particularly of youth — resulting in rising labor scarcity and increased production costs.