NewzVille Desk
South Asia stands at a critical moment in its development journey. With millions of young people entering the workforce every year, creating sustainable jobs has become one of the region’s most pressing priorities. The World Bank Group highlighted that transforming food systems beyond the farm can unlock significant opportunities for employment, investment, economic growth, and poverty reduction.
The region’s agriculture sector is valued at over $700 billion annually and employs nearly 43 percent of the workforce. However, despite its scale, agriculture contributes only around 16 percent of the region’s GDP. More than 30 percent of food produced in South Asia is lost or wasted every year—enough to feed nearly 300 million people.
Experts emphasized that the next phase of agricultural transformation lies not merely in increasing production but in expanding food processing, storage, logistics, marketing, and value addition. These activities can create millions of productive jobs while reducing food losses and increasing farmers’ incomes.
In India, food grain production has increased from 51 million tonnes in 1950-51 to more than 330 million tonnes today. Processed food exports have also more than doubled over the past decade, rising from approximately $4.9 billion to over $10 billion. The food processing sector currently contributes around 9 percent of manufacturing value added and nearly 13 percent of India’s exports.
