Agriculture plays a central role in South Asia, providing livelihoods for millions while shaping trade and food systems across the region. Countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are major producers of rice, wheat, tea, and spices, with agricultural exports fueling economies and global supply chains. Despite these strengths, the sector faces significant challenges, including climate change, water scarcity, and land degradation, which threaten long-term sustainability. Fragmented supply chains and post-harvest losses further complicate food security, while trade policies and geopolitical tensions impact international markets.

While the region has made notable strides in improving nutrition and food security over the years, it faces significant nutritional challenges, with malnutrition and diet-related health issues affecting millions across the region. Undernutrition remains a pressing concern, particularly among children, with stunting and wasting linked to poverty, inadequate access to nutritious food, and poor sanitation. At the same time, urbanization and changing dietary patterns have led to a rise in obesity and noncommunicable diseases.

Join us for an engaging seminar on Food Policy in a Changing World, bringing together leading researchers, policymakers, and donor organizations to discuss challenges and solutions. The event will explore the role of food policy in South Asia in addressing environment and climate impacts, diets and health, and food systems transformation, offering expert insights and actionable approaches for a healthier, more resilient food system from IFPRI’s 2025 Global Food Policy Report.

Welcome and Overview

• Shahidur Rashid, Director, South Asia Office, IFPRI

Global Food Policy Report 2025 & South Asia Flagship Report Launch

• Remarks by Special Guest: Archana Vyas, Director, Program Advocacy and Communications, Growth, Opportunity, and Empowerment, Gates Foundation
• Remarks by Chief Guest: Mahendra Dev, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister
• Chairperson’s Remarks: M L Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE); Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

Food Policy in a Changing World: Focus on South Asia

Theme 1: Environment and Climate Change

• Presentation: Claudia Ringler, Director, Natural Resources and Resilience (NRR), IFPRI
• Discussant: Pratap Birthal, Director, ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (ICAR-NIAP)
• Discussant: Aparna Sawhney, Professor, Centre for International Trade and Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Theme 2: Diets and Health

• Presentation: Purnima Menon, Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Policy; Acting Senior Director, Transformation Strategy, IFPRI
• Discussant: Elizabeth Faure, Representative and Country Director, World Food Programme (WFP), India
• Discussant: Arjan de Wagt, Deputy Representative, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), India

Theme 3: Food Systems Transformation

• Presentation: James Thurlow, Director, Foresight and Policy Modeling (FPM), IFPRI
• Discussant: Sanjeev Sanyal, Economist and Member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council
• Discussant: Srivalli Krishnan, Deputy Director, Agricultural Development, Gates Foundation

Vote of Thanks

• Mamata Pradhan, Research Coordinator, IFPRI

To view the full program, please click HERE.