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Cornell University

Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Projects

farmland

District-Level Database for Indian Agriculture and Allied Sectors

ICRISAT and TCI have created a comprehensive, one-stop-shop for data related to India’s food system and beyond. In the pursuit of development goals at any level, data is essential for measuring advancements and identifying barriers to progress. This open-access platform can be used by a wide array of stakeholders working to address issues of food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture in India.
A man operating a machine making mats of straw

Farm Waste to Furniture

Every fall in northern India, the skies are darkened by soot and the air is polluted as rice farmers set fire to the stubble or straw that remains after harvesting paddy. TCI’s Rice Stubble Upcycling Project aims to curb the practice of burning farm waste by creating a demand for the straw to make composite panels that can replace commonly used wood-based products like particleboard and plywood.
A hand holding black beans

Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement

TCI is part of an exciting new venture aimed at advancing plant breeding tools, technologies, and methods to increase yields, enhance nutrition, and improve crop resilience. Led by Cornell University and supported by USAID, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement is an integrated research and delivery program that will support national breeding programs in East and West Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and the Caribbean.

FPO-Led Small Farm Market Access Models

As the world’s population increases and the demand for agricultural products rises, small farms have an opportunity to play a big role and reap many benefits, if they are able to join together to form farmer producer organizations (FPOs) to increase their aggregate size. TCI is undertaking a study to assess the challenges facing FPO…
A seedling growing in reddish dirt

Optimizing Soil Health

As its population continues to rise, India will need to produce more food with fewer resources. Ensuring optimum soil health is a key prerequisite to achieving the necessary level of crop production. TCI’s Soil Health Project focuses on soil health enhancement to increase agricultural productivity, reduce malnutrition, and improve the rural environment.
Pidgeon pea plants

Transformation of Agricultural Systems for Climate Resilience

Rice is one of India’s most important crops, but its production is a significant contributor of the greenhouse gases fueling climate change. The Transformation of Agricultural Systems for Climate Resilience project, administered through a partnership between TCI and the development organization PRADAN, aims to illuminate pathways to diversify agriculture in the state of Chhattisgarh in…
Colorful arrangement of pulses and lentils for sale at a market

True Cost of Food Subsidies in India

The Public Distribution System ensures the food security of some of India’s most impoverished citizens, but high transaction costs and a reliance on resource-intensive crops impose a price that does not appear on government ledgers. TCI aims to estimate the true cost of the PDS by accounting for hidden costs like the health and environmental impacts of the program.
Wind turbines overlooking farmland

Zero-Hunger, Zero-Carbon Food Systems

Across the developing world, policymakers and development practitioners concerned with eliminating hunger and improving nutrition are confronting a stark reality: as the world struggles to stop climate change, the nutritional demands of growing populations will increase the size of agriculture’s carbon footprint. TCI is meeting this challenge with an ambitious project aimed at reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with agriculture while improving productivity.
Women and children walking on a farm

Past Projects

Explore TCI projects that have come to a close.