WFP India Country Brief, August 2026

The WFP India Country Brief, August 2026 highlights ongoing efforts by the World Food Programme to strengthen food security, nutrition, climate resilience and agricultural livelihoods in India. The latest country brief also examines food and nutrition insecurity and WFP’s long-standing partnership with the Government of India.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has released its India Country Brief for August 2026, providing an overview of food security, nutrition, climate resilience and agricultural initiatives currently being supported across the country.

The situation report, published on 11 August 2026, highlights WFP’s continued cooperation with Indian institutions and government partners to strengthen food systems, improve nutrition outcomes and support communities affected by climate-related challenges.

One of the highlighted activities is the organisation of more than 60 plant clinics in collaboration with Assam Agriculture University, helping smallholder farmers access technical expertise and strengthen their livelihoods.

Background & Country Brief Overview

India has made significant progress in food production and nutrition over the past several decades. However, the WFP report notes that food and nutrition insecurity remain important challenges.

According to the August 2026 country brief, India ranks 102nd out of 123 countries in the 2025 Global Hunger Index.

The report also identifies continuing nutrition challenges, including:

35% of children under five being stunted.
19% of children under five being underweight.
Anaemia affecting 57% of women of reproductive age.
Anaemia affecting 67% of children aged 6–59 months.

At the same time, the report highlights improvements in the prevalence of undernourishment and the affordability of a healthy diet, based on findings from the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, released in July 2026.

India also operates some of the world’s largest food-based social safety-net systems, reaching approximately 800 million people every month.

WFP has worked with the Government of India for more than 60 years, providing technical assistance and capacity strengthening in areas including food systems, nutrition, digital innovation and climate resilience.

Climate Resilience and Agriculture

A major highlight of the August country brief concerns WFP’s work to strengthen climate resilience among farming communities.

In collaboration with Assam Agriculture University, more than 60 plant clinics have been organised at the Climate Adaptation Information Centre.

The clinics are part of the ENACT-Assam project and connect smallholder farmers with experts who can provide support related to crop and plant health.

This approach is intended to help farmers protect and diversify their livelihoods while responding to climate-related risks affecting agricultural production.

The initiative demonstrates how agricultural knowledge and community-level support can contribute to more resilient food systems.

Food Security and Nutrition

Food and nutrition remain central themes in the WFP India programme.

Despite improvements in food production and several aspects of nutrition, the country continues to experience significant challenges related to malnutrition.

The figures highlighted in the August report demonstrate that nutrition challenges affect different groups of the population, particularly young children and women of reproductive age.

Addressing these challenges requires more than increasing food availability. Nutrition quality, affordability and access to healthy diets are also important components of food security.

The WFP report notes that India has made significant progress in improving both the prevalence of undernourishment and the affordability of a healthy diet.

India’s Food-Based Safety Nets

India’s extensive food-based safety-net systems play an important role in supporting vulnerable populations.

The August 2026 country brief states that these programmes reach nearly 800 million people every month.

WFP’s partnership with the Government of India focuses on strengthening the effectiveness of these systems through technical assistance and capacity development.

Areas of cooperation include:

Food system efficiency.
Nutrition quality.
Digital innovation.
Climate resilience.
Institutional capacity strengthening.

Through these efforts, WFP contributes technical expertise while working alongside national and local institutions.

WFP’s Long-Term Partnership with India

The World Food Programme has maintained a partnership with the Government of India for more than six decades.

The relationship has evolved alongside India’s changing food and nutrition priorities.

While earlier food-security challenges were strongly associated with food production and availability, current priorities increasingly include nutrition quality, climate resilience, digital systems and the efficiency of food-based social protection.

The August 2026 country brief reflects this broader approach.

Support for Smallholder Farmers

Smallholder farmers are particularly important to resilient food systems because their livelihoods can be affected by climate variability, crop diseases and changing agricultural conditions.

The plant clinics highlighted in the report provide a practical mechanism for connecting farmers with agricultural specialists.

Through these clinics, farmers can obtain information that may help them manage plant-health challenges and protect their livelihoods.

The initiative also supports the wider objective of strengthening community capacity to respond to climate-related risks.

Key Themes in the August 2026 Brief

The latest WFP India report focuses on several interconnected areas:

Food security: India continues to address food insecurity while strengthening existing food-based safety nets.

Nutrition: Malnutrition and anaemia remain significant challenges despite improvements in several food-security indicators.

Climate resilience: WFP is supporting approaches designed to help communities and farmers adapt to climate-related challenges.

Agriculture: Partnerships with agricultural institutions are helping connect smallholder farmers with technical expertise.

Digital innovation: WFP is working with government partners to improve food-system efficiency through digital approaches.

Capacity strengthening: Technical assistance remains an important component of WFP’s long-term partnership with India.

Why the Report Matters

The WFP India Country Brief provides a snapshot of the country’s continuing food-security and nutrition priorities while showing how international cooperation is being used to strengthen national systems.

The report is particularly relevant to professionals, researchers, development practitioners and organisations working in:

Food security
Nutrition
Agriculture
Climate resilience
Social protection
Sustainable development
Humanitarian assistance
Digital food systems
Community development

It also illustrates the connection between climate adaptation, agricultural livelihoods and food security.

Conclusion

The WFP India Country Brief, August 2026 highlights both progress and continuing challenges in India’s food and nutrition landscape.

While India has achieved significant improvements in food production, undernourishment and the affordability of healthy diets, the report indicates that malnutrition remains a major concern.

At the same time, WFP continues to work with the Government of India and local institutions to strengthen food systems, improve nutrition, promote climate resilience and build community capacity.

The collaboration with Assam Agriculture University and the organisation of more than 60 plant clinics demonstrate the practical work being undertaken to support smallholder farmers and strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods.

The August 2026 report therefore provides useful insight into India’s current food-security priorities and WFP’s continuing role in supporting national efforts.

Source: World Food Programme (WFP), WFP India Country Brief, August 2026, published 11 August 2026 via ReliefWeb.

Read the full WFP India Country Brief

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