Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood of a majority of
countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Many of these countries
are also grappling with the problem of a large percentage of
their population being malnourished.
This paper outlines some of the pathways by which agriculture
affects nutrition, and the points at which there may occur what has
been termed an agriculture-nutrition disconnect. It then presents
some empirical evidence on the nutritional impact of agriculture,
focusing in particular on diet quality. It also briefly reviews the trends
in production of horticulture, poultry, milk and meat products in
India, and provides some evidence disaggregated by land holding
class, given the focus on family farms. Although the empirical review
focuses primarily on India, its lessons are likely to be relevant for
much of the Asia-Pacific region as well.