Tata-Cornell Institute

A new study coauthored by TCI alumna Maureen Valentine warns that goat management practices in Western Odisha are degrading lands available for grazing, damaging the productivity of livestock and the condition of common property resources. Read the study in Cogent Food & Agriculture: https://www.tandfonline.com//full/10/23311932.2020.1860561

A helpful first step would be moving away from the heavy focus on calorie-dense food crops by reforming policies that incentivize staple grain production even as the overall calorie requirement in India is declining. Read our new op-ed in Financial Express: https://tci.cornell.edu//tci-calls-attention-to-rising-ob/

Through our clean drinking water project, we help provide sustainable water purification systems to villages in India and study their impact on nutrition and other issues.

"These bills remove long standing market restrictions on agricultural sales. Farmer producer organizations can benefit from the marketing opportunities that will unlock, allowing for income and welfare growth." Read TCI's latest op-ed in The Times of India: https://tci.cornell.edu//tci-op-ed-stresses-importance-of/

"The key to staving off another pandemic lies in integrating one-health knowledge on zoonotic diseases along with food safety measures along the food value chain." Learn how food safety can help prevent the next COVID-19.

Fungal toxins, or mycotoxins, can cause a variety of ailments if ingested, including cancer. Food contamination also reduces the productivity and profitability of smallholder agriculture. TCI's Anthony Wenndt studied mycotoxin contamination of crops in rural India and worked with farmers to develop sustainable mitigation strategies. Learn more https://tci.cornell.edu/blog/managing-mycotoxins/

Dietary diversity is an important marker of a nutritious diet. So, how can we improve it? A TCI study shows that increasing market access is key in rural areas. Read more https://tci.cornell.edu//improving-dietary-diversity-thro/

Millions of migrants returned to their homes in rural India as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, and they are unlikely to leave anytime soon. TCI associate director Bhaskar Mittra explores what impact that will have on local economies and what can be done to support those in need. Learn more https://tci.cornell.edu//how-will-reverse-migration-affec/

In countries such as India, there aren't enough fruits and vegetables to meet everyone's dietary needs. Under those circumstances, reducing food loss and waste is crucial. TCI scholar Jocelyn Boiteau studies quality and quantity loss in tomato supply chains to inform effective prevention strategies so that more of the fruits and vegetables grown in India make it from farm to plate. Learn more https://tci.cornell.edu/blog/tomato-trouble/

TCI brings together researchers from diverse fields like economics and food science to create and assess innovative, food systems-based approaches to reducing poverty and malnutrition. For example, TCI Scholar Rohil Bhatnagar explores how green microalgae used in biofuel production can be used to fortify foods with much-needed iron. Learn more https://tci.cornell.edu//biorefinery-to-kitchen-addressin/

Miss our expert panel on 'Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition in India 2020'? You can watch a recording to learn about the path to zero hunger in India.

Increasing agricultural productivity is crucial to achieving zero hunger in India. The cropping systems map in TCI's report on "Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition in India 2020" helps provide a tailored, localized approach to the issue. Learn more https://tci.cornell.edu//the-map-to-zero-hunger-mapping-c/

TCI director Prabhu Pingali will speak at this morning's virtual meeting of FONTAGRO. He will present the main trends and challenges for the agri-food sector through 2050. Register here https://events.iadb.org/calendar/event/22501?lang=en

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, TCI is working to understand its implications for food security, food safety, and nutrition. Learn more on our COVID-19 webpage https://tci.cornell.edu/covid-19/

10 key findings from our report on Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition in India 2020: 1. India’s progress on undernutrition has been slow compared to economic progress. 2. Getting the nutrition metric right is essential to getting the policy right. 3. Access to nutritious food is lagging, despite increasing demand.... 4. Regional disparities in nutritional outcomes can be attributed to varying trajectories of subnational structural transformation. 5. Investing in agriculture in the lagging states is fundamental to reducing malnutrition. 6. Investment in agriculture leads to better nutrition at the household level via higher incomes, access to diverse foods, more equitable intrahousehold food allocation, and improved health environments. 7. In regions where agriculture is underdeveloped and poverty is high, diets are mainly staple-based, and nutrition outcomes are poor. 8. In more developed regions, diets and nutrition outcomes have improved, but overnutrition is emerging as an important concern. 9. Achieving SDG2 requires policy focus to move toward more nutritious and micronutrient-rich foods, such as pulses, coarse cereals, vegetables, fruits, and animal products. 10. Efforts to double incomes and productivity need to be tailored to various different cropping systems in the country. Learn more https://tci.cornell.edu//10-key-findings-from-tcis-report/

"Rural-urban migration can be limited if better income-earning opportunities are created in rural areas. Two avenues can make it happen: Increase in returns from small-farm agriculture; and more employment opportunities in the rural non-farm sector." In a Financial Express op-ed, TCI director Prabhu Pingali calls for increased investment in rural areas to help revive the post-COVID-19 Indian economy. Read more https://tci.cornell.edu//tci-director-calls-for-investmen/

"The breakdown of the produce supply chains and other disruptions due to COVID-19 has given a new boost to the digital agricultural supply chain ecosystem." In our latest blog post, Bhaskar Mittra explores how the COVID-19 pandemic in India has presented opportunities for farmers, consumers, and other participants in agricultural supply chains. Read more https://tci.cornell.edu//covid-19-pandemic-presents-oppor/