South Asia, comprised of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is home to about 1.8 billion people -- nearly 25% of the world’s population. But with an area of 5.2 million square kilometers, or some 1% of the world’s area, South Asia is the most densely populated region in the world.  Moreover, despite yielding a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$ 3.3 trillion and Gross National Index (GNI) per capita of US$1.7 billion in 2017, South Asia is the world’s hungriest region with a Global Hunger Index score of 30.5. The region shelters 22% of the world’s undernourished. Around 282 million South Asians live below the poverty line, and most of them reside in the rural areas. In the face of extreme poverty and hunger, and amidst a wide disparity of wealth, the region rightfully pins its hopes on agriculture. About 57 percent of South Asia is arable or agricultural land. Nearly 60 percent of South Asia’s population is engaged in agriculture.