IFPRI and ICAR convene South Asia Dialogue on food policy

The launch of the IFPRI’s 2025 Global Food Policy Report 

• Spotlights priorities for resilient, healthy and inclusive food systems

Food systems lie at the heart of sustainable development. They influence how people produce, access, and consume food and are intricately tied to livelihoods, public health, natural ecosystems, and economic growth. For South Asia, where a large share of the population remains dependent on agriculture and food-related services, strengthening food systems is both a developmental and strategic priority.

Against this backdrop, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), convened a high-level regional policy dialogue, “Food Policy for a Changing World: Lessons and Priorities for South Asia,” on 16 September, in New Delhi. The event also marked the South Asia launch of IFPRI’s 2025 Global Food Policy Report (GFPR).

The dialogue brought together senior policymakers, researchers, and development partners to reflect on how South Asia can secure resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems amid mounting pressures of climate change, malnutrition, and demographic transitions.

The chief guest, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India (EAC-PM) Chairman Prof. S. Mahendra Dev, reminded participants that the food systems agenda cannot lose sight of traditional priorities: “While we are focusing on newer challenges like food systems, environment, and nutrition, we should not forget that earlier priorities like agriculture growth linkages and rural investments remain critical. Governments and the private sector must work together to reshape food systems that deliver affordable, healthy, and diversified diets.”

Nutrition was another central theme. NITI Aayog Member Dr. Vinod K. Paul, emphasised early interventions: “If we truly want to break the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition, we must act before pregnancy. Preconception health and nutrition for women can reduce growth restriction by up to 25%, and when coupled with later interventions, can cut childhood stunting by nearly half.”

State innovations also featured prominently. Government of Odisha Development Commissioner – cum – Additional Chief Secretary Smt. Anu Garg, reflected on her State’s progress: “Odisha’s journey from districts once infamous for starvation deaths to becoming the fifth-largest rice producer in India shows what determined institution-building and investment in irrigation can achieve. Today, our focus is on embedding climate resilience into agriculture so that this progress endures.”

Continuing this theme, Government of Odisha’s Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment Principal Secretary Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, highlighted Odisha’s integrated approach: “Odisha is perhaps one of the few states where we have both a climate resilience cell and we are going to have a Gender Responsive Cell. Through CRC and GRC we wanted to build into our design the gender and climate lens from the beginning.” He also noted that regional cooperation initiatives, such as Seeds Without Borders, demonstrate how cross-country collaboration can accelerate the spread of climate-resilient varieties.

The broader environmental dimension was brought into focus by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India Representative Dr. Angela Lusigi, who observed: “The challenges we face are not merely about numbers or statistics. It’s about justice and equity as a fundamental right to food security. Climate vulnerability is deeply intersectional – it intersects poverty, gender, geography, and social status.” She called for inclusive and integrated solutions that combine innovation with traditional knowledge.

IFPRI Senior Director, Food and Nutrition Policy and Acting Director, Transformation Strategies Dr. Purnima Menon reinforced IFPRI’s role as a global connector of policy evidence: “At IFPRI we really do believe in the transformational power of policy – whether sub-national, national, or regional. We see our role as connecting the dots across regions, from South Asia to Africa, so that lessons here can inform solutions globally.”

Summing up the stakes for the region, IFPRI-South Asia Director Dr. Shahidur Rashid noted: “This year’s Global Food Policy Report is special – it not only marks IFPRI’s 50-year journey, but also reflects on the future policy challenges that will shape food and agriculture in the decades ahead. For South Asia, the report highlights three stubborn challenges that demand urgent attention: climate change, persistent undernutrition, and the need for healthier, more diverse diets.”

As South Asian countries strive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and envision resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems by 2050, the urgency for coordinated, evidence-based policy action has never been greater.

The South Asia Dialogue, co-hosted by IFPRI and ICAR, underscored the region’s shared responsibility and opportunity to lead. Anchored in evidence, enriched by experience, and committed to collaborative solutions, the discussions set the stage for food systems transformation that prioritises resilience, equity, and nutrition for all.