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The South Asian Policy Leadership for Improved Nutrition and Growth (SAPLING) is a dynamic regional platform convened by the World Bank with support from the Gates Foundation and other partners. It is dedicated to driving transformative change in nutrition-focused and resilient agri-food systems across South Asia.

SAPLING fosters cross-sectoral collaboration by bringing together policymakers, researchers, civil society practitioners, private sector leaders, innovators, and development partners to exchange knowledge, promote dialogue, and inspire action. As the region grapples with challenges like food insecurity, malnutrition, and the impacts of climate change, SAPLING serves as a vital conduit for evidence-based policy solutions and leadership. By addressing these interconnected issues, SAPLING aims to strengthen food systems, enhance nutritional outcomes, and build the resilience needed to support sustainable development and improve lives across South Asia.

SAPLING advances its mission through three interlinked pillars and core themes ¨C

Pillars:

• Policy Dialogue ¨C In-country and regional forums for learning, exchange, and collaboration
• Technology Solutions ¨C Scaling emerging innovations and best practices across borders
• Government Support ¨C Embedding a food systems and nutrition lens into policy and development investments

Themes:

• Food Loss and Waste (FLW): Addressing inefficiencies and losses in the food supply chain after harvest, which directly impact food availability, farmer incomes, and sustainability.
• Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA): Promoting agricultural practices that are resilient to climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance productivity and food security.
• Food Safety Standards: Strengthening food safety systems to ensure public health, support trade, and build consumer trust in food systems.

SAPLING actively leverages knowledge-building, dialogue, and dissemination as tools to bridge the gap between research and action.

In partnership with a growing network of allies and collaborators, SAPLING curates and shares knowledge through:

• Policy dialogues on food systems challenges that are at the heart of the nutrition dilemma in South Asia
• Evidence-based insights that draw on cutting edge research, tailored for policymakers and practitioners
• Active spotlighting of innovations and scalable solutions from across the region

In 2025, SAPLING is partnering with the Nexus of Food Systems, Nutrition and Climate Change in South Asia ¨C a Knowledge Exchange Series (KES) jointly organized by FAO and the World Bank. NEXUS KES has been successfully fostering dialogue between different stakeholders, shared best practices, and advocated for integrated, scalable solutions in South Asia's agrifood system.

For more information contact nexus@worldbank.org

SAPLING convenes high-impact events that inform policy, support local innovations, and connect decision-makers across the region. These multi-sectoral exchanges help drive momentum for continued dialogue and learning. 

Beyond Waste Policy Dialogue, 2025

At this high-level regional event hosted in Colombo by the Government of Sri Lanka and the World Bank, SAPLING convened leaders from South Asia Region to spotlight food loss and waste as a critical lever for food security, climate resilience, and inclusive growth. Over two days of dialogue in June 2025 participants explored: 

• The economic and environmental costs of food loss across South Asia 

• Innovations in cold chain logistics, digital platforms, and circular economy models 

• Policy shifts needed to revalue food, reform subsidies, and empower small-scale producers 

Country experiences from Bhutan¡¯s dual food economy to Sri Lanka¡¯s post-harvest reforms underscored the urgency of coordinated action. The event marked a turning point in recognizing food loss and waste not as a peripheral issue, but as central to achieving nutrition, sustainability, and equity goals in the region.

Following the SAPLING ¡°Beyond Waste¡± dialogue, a televised panel titled . The discussion explored how South Asia can transform the challenge of food loss into an opportunity for green growth, youth employment, and regional cooperation. Panelists emphasized the role of innovation, entrepreneurship, and policy reform in creating sustainable food systems. The program also highlighted the importance of empowering youth and women in agri-food value chains and scaling up successful grassroots solutions. 

In the sidelines of the SAPLING Beyond Waste convening, a trade workshop focused on improving food security and safety through better cross-border controls of agricultural commodities. The session brought together regulators, private sector actors, and regional organizations to explore harmonized standards, smarter border processes, and circular economy solutions that reduce food loss and waste. Participants emphasized the importance of regional cooperation, regulatory reform, and public-private partnerships to make agri-trade more efficient, inclusive, and resilient. The themes echoed in the workshop align with this to fix border bottlenecks as a lever to strengthen food systems and boost food availability across South Asia.

Watch

Unlocking Oppotunities for Policy Wins at Delivering for Nutrition (D4N) 2024

At the IFPRI-hosted D4N 2024 conference, SAPLING led a session on Unlocking Opportunities for Policy Wins, focusing on how evidence-based policymaking can drive nutrition-sensitive outcomes. Eminent panelists from government, academia, and civil society across the region emphasized: 

The need for an emphatic shift from food security to nutrition security 

The urgency for credible, timely evidence to inform policy decisions 

The role of strategic communication and multi-sectoral partnerships to connect the dots between evidence and policy 

World Soil Day 2024: Healthy Soils, Livable Planet, 2024 

In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, SAPLING co-hosted an international workshop to elevate soil health as a national policy priority. The workshop highlighted: 

• The importance of soil health in fostering resilient, nutrition-oriented food systems 
• A shift in knowledge and practice towards climate-sensitive farming 
• The role of agricultural extension workers, community institutions and farming communities in shaping transformative action at scale 

SAPLING at World Food India, 2024

At this landmark event hosted by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India, SAPLING brought together stakeholders from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan to reflect on shared challenges and opportunities in food systems. Across three dynamic panels, the following themes were explored: 

Moving from cereal-centricity to diversification 

Leadership of women and youth in sustainable food production and healthier consumption 

Intergenerational nutrition outcomes as an urgent policy priority 

See for event highlights 

SAPLING engages a broad spectrum of stakeholders across South Asia, including:

• Country governments
• Regional cooperation bodies such as SAARC and BIMSTEC
• Private sector actors, including national and regional associations, chambers, and social entrepreneurs
• Development partners, youth organizations, NGOs/CSOs, and media, including international media and INGOs focused on nutrition and agrifood systems
• Think tanks, academic and research institutions, and foundations

Fostering partnerships across a diverse ecosystem of researchers, practitioners and innovators, SAPLING helps bridge silos and builds collective capacity to shape forward-looking policies for food systems transformation in South Asia.

In addition, SAPLING serves as a strategic knowledge and engagement platform for the World Bank¡¯s internal stakeholders, supporting cross-sectoral alignment on food and nutrition security goals and furthering the Bank¡¯s Knowledge Compact and Global Challenges Program.

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Email: sapling@worldbank.org