Farming households' adaptation to climatic shocks in South Asia: A food systems perspective

Climate shocks in South Asia often trigger cascading disruptions across the agrifood system — from production to markets to household consumption — highlighting the interconnected nature of system vulnerabilities. • Household adaptation responses to shocks are not confined to farming practices; they span multiple system components, including livelihoods, consumption, credit, and risk management. • Smallholders and resource-poor households tend to rely on short-term livelihood, risk, and consumption management coping mechanisms, while wealthier households can adopt loss-reducing investments and strategies. This difference deepens inequalities. • National adaptation planning continues to have a sectoral focus, with a primary focus on building resilient production systems and minimal focus on other aspects of agrifood systems. • Social safety net policies exist at scale across the region, offering complementary support to adaptation efforts for the poorest, but these policies are not yet strategically aligned or strengthened with national adaptation planning.