Evolving rural food environments in South Asia: The role of processed foods, traditional markets, and marketing influences

Bi, Afrin Zainab; Choudhury, Smaira; Kabir, A. N. M. Faijul; Challa, Kranthi Kumar; Yeggina, Pavan Kumar; et al. 2025. Evolving rural food environments in South Asia: The role of processed foods, traditional markets, and marketing influences. In The Agrifood System in South Asia: Pathways to Sustainable Healthy Diets, eds. Samuel Scott, Avinash Kishore, and Derek Headey. Chapter 5, pp. 39-49. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/178083

Food environments in South Asia are undergoing a rapid transformation, marked by the growing consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods — a trend largely driven by accelerated globalization and aggressive marketing strategies. • Rural food environments in South Asia remain dominated by traditional, informal food outlets. Village retail shops primarily sell packaged foods and everyday household items, while open-air multivendor markets offer diverse fresh foods, including fruits, vegetables, fish, and meat, often at more affordable prices. • Most villages have reasonable access to retail food shops, but accessing open-air markets often involves traveling longer distances, either within the village or to neighboring areas. • Rural residents in South Asia are highly exposed to the promotion and advertising of unhealthy foods, particularly through mass media campaigns. • Stronger policies and improved infrastructure are needed to foster healthier food environments. Key strategies include supporting local markets, regulating the promotion of unhealthy foods, and enhancing the presence of healthy food options in retail settings.