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Over the past 60 years, food systems in South Asia have undergone rapid economic and socio-cultural transformations, with both considerable similarities and differences within and between nations (Pingali and Abraham, 2022). Early agrifood systems transformations were led by an intensification paradigm that has increased crop productivity by heavily relying on intensive input and resource use, particularly chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and groundwater. The policy focus during 1960s was food self-sufficiency and food security for by increasing yield and also boosting land area under high-yielding varieties to augment production and productivity (mainly for rice and wheat) (Pingali et al., 2019). The green revolution helped many developing countries, including India and China, to achieve a food security. However, it is criticized by economists, environmentalists, and social scientists(Swaminathan, 2006). The revolution was noted for its selective benefit to resource-rich farmers, due to the necessity of market-purchased inputs for high yielding cultivars. Environmental concerns included the excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides and the predominance of monoculture, leading to resistance breakdown and soil fertility degradation. Social scientists highlighted the exclusion of women from technology-based agriculture, resulting in their marginalization (Jacoby, 1972; Singh et al., 2022; Swaminathan, 2006). In partial response to these challenges, crop diversification is often advocated for as part of strategies aimed atin augmenting agricultural development within South Asia. In this document, we define crop diversification as ‘a process that makes simplified cropping systems more diverse in time and space by adding additional crops (cf. Hufnagel et al., 2020). Crop diversification may play a multifaceted role by enhancing income and employment opportunities while potentially contributing to food and nutritional security.
