From volume to value: Making the most of South Asia's food sector Anup Jagwani June 16, 2026 This page in: English

https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/agfood/from-volume-to-value--making-the-most-of-south-asia-s-food-secto South Asia's food economy is one of the largest in the world. Worth more than $700 billion annually, it employs hundreds of millions of people and feeds nearly a quarter of humanity. Yet much of its economic potential never reaches the market. Every year, more than 30 percent of food produced in the region is lost before it reaches consumers. At the same time, much of what does make it to market generates little value beyond the farm gate. The result is a food system that employs 43 percent of the workforce but contributes to only 16 percent of GDP.