Co-authors
from
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
for
Agriculture
and
Nutrition
and
the
Dyson
School
have
published
a
new
book,
Transforming
Food
Systems
for
a
Rising
India,
as
a
reflection
of
the
institute’s
key
intellectual
results
and
research
works
undertaken
within
the
past
five
years.
This
article
originally
appeared
on
the
Dyson
BusinessFeed.

Photo credit: Maina Dhital
At
a
glance
Book title
Transforming Food Systems for a Rising India
Published
by
Palgrave
Macmillan,
2019
Co-authors
- Prabhu Pingali,
professor
of
applied
economics
at
Dyson
and
founding
director
of
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
Anaka
Aiyar,
post-doctoral
associate
with
the
Tata-Cornell Institute
Mathew
Abraham,
assistant
director
of
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
Andaleeb
Rahman,
post-doctoral
associate
at
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
Disciplines
represented
Agricultural
Economics,
Food
Policy,
Health
and
Nutrition,
Sustainability
About
the
book
Transforming
Food
Systems
for
a
Rising
India
explores
the
relationship
between
India’s
economic
development,
agricultural
production,
and
nutrition
through
the
lens
of
a
“food
systems
approach.”
The
authors
investigate
the
paradoxical
story
of
India’s
growth
where
regional
inequality,
food
insecurity,
and
malnutrition
still
exist
within
economic
progress.
By
collecting
the
latest
data
and
scientific
evidence
from
the
country,
the
authors
examine
the
challenges
and
opportunities
for
achieving
a
nutrition-secure
future.
The
book
offers
potential
solutions
along
with
political
and
institutional
interventions
needed
to
alter
the
future
of
India’s
food
system.
“This
book…
brings
together
high
quality
research,
real
world
pragmatism
and
an
understanding
of
the
politics
of
Indian
food
systems.”
—
Lawrence
Haddad,
Executive
Director,
GAIN
and
2018
World
Food
Prize
Laureate“Using
a
broad
food
systems
approach,
this
book
presents
[a]…
comprehensive
analysis
of
the
Indian
food
and
agricultural
system
and
its
interaction
with
climate
change,
nutrition
and
health.”
—
Per
Pinstrup-Andersen,
Professor
Emeritus,
Cornell
University
and
2001
World
Food
Prize
Laureate
Insights
from
the
authors
The
Tata-Cornell
Institute
celebrated
the
launch
of
the
book
in
May
2019
with
a
panel
discussion
featuring
the
authors
and
an
introduction
from
Christopher
Barrett,
the
Stephen
B.
and
Janice
G.
Ashley
Professor
at
Dyson.
During
the
event,
the
co-authors
shared
key
takeaways
from
their
respective
chapters.

Prabhu Pingali
Prabhu Pingali,
professor
of
applied
economics
at
Dyson
and
founding
director
of
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
- India
has
solved
its
hunger
problem
to
some
extent,
but
problems
like
under-
and
malnutrition
still
exist.
Despite
India’s
characterization
as
an
emerging
economy,
significant
segments
of
the
rural
population
still
live
in
poverty
and
suffer
from
illness
and
malnutrition. - There
is
a
big
opportunity
to
invigorate
India’s
rural
economy
through
diversifying
the
food
system.
For
nutritional
security,
poor
people
should
have
better
and
affordable
access
to
micro-nutrient
rich
foods. - Food
system
diversity
can
help
manage
India’s
nutrition
challenges.
The
staple
grain-focused
policies
and
weak
market
infrastructure
for
non-staple
foods
hinder
the
diversification
of
India’s
food
system. - Mitigating
climate
impacts
on
nutrition-rich
food
crops
is
significant
for
poor
people.
Inter-state
and
inter-country
learnings
about
India’s
rural
growth
are
worth
sharing.

Anaka Aiyar
Anaka
Aiyar,
post-doctoral
associate
with
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
- Despite
India’s
decrease
in
malnutrition
across
the
country
in
the
past
30
years,
undernutrition
and
micronutrient
deficiency
persists,
especially
in
economically
lagging
states
like
Bihar,
Uttar
Pradesh,
and
Madhya
Pradesh.
Still,
38
percent
of
all
children
in
India
under
the
age
of
five
are
stunted. - On
the
other
hand,
issues
like
overweight
and
obesity
have
appeared
as
big
challenges,
especially
in
more
urbanized
states.
Overall,
the
population
of
overweight
people
has
doubled
during
the
past
10
years. - India
needs
to
refocus
its
public
policy
to
transform
the
food
system
and
address
the
triple
burden
of
malnutrition.
Diversifying
diets,
increasing
income,
and
improving
people’s
access
to
food
safety
nets
are
vital
for
reducing
malnutrition.

Mathew Abraham
Mathew
Abraham,
assistant
director
of
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
- Shifts
towards
high-value
agriculture
products
can
provide
opportunities
for
diversifying
and
accessing
markets.
But
these
opportunities
have
not
translated
into
benefits
for
small
agricultural
producers.
Effective
aggregation
models,
such
as
producer
group,
can
help
reduce
high
transaction
costs
of
small
farms
accessing
urban
food
value
chains.
The
major
issues
are
limited
access
to
markets,
credit,
inputs,
and
production
technologies. - There
is
a
need
for
adaptation
and
mitigation
strategies
to
cope
with
the
impacts
of
climate
change
in
agriculture.
Future
climate
change
policies
should
enable
the
diversification
of
environment-friendly
food
systems
as
well
as
improve
the
nutritional
value
of
foods
produced
and
increase
affordable
access
to
food.
Region-specific
approaches
are
needed
to
address
the
issues. - Technology
will
play
an
important
role
in
increasing
smallholder
productivity
and
competitiveness.
States,
especially
lagging
ones,
need
to
go
beyond
staple
grains
and
use
appropriate
technologies
for
promoting
a
more
diverse
food
system.

Andaleeb Rahman
Andaleeb
Rahman,
post-doctoral
associate
at
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
- The
one-size-fits-all
approach
does
not
work
for
India
when
developing
and
implementing
policies,
given
the
state-level
differences
in
economic
growth,
agricultural
production,
cultures,
and
environments,
among
other
factors. - Initial
investments
in
agricultural
productivity
kicked
off
different
trajectories
in
economic
growth.
For
instance,
agriculture-led
growth
states
like
Punjab
and
Haryana
invested
heavily
in
paddy
cultivation
while
urbanizing
states,
like
Kerala
and
Tamil
Nadu,
prefer
cash
crops
and
non-ag
sectors
like
industry
and
tourism.
However,
several
states
in
east
India
are
primarily
smallholder
agriculture
systems. - India
has
witnessed
a
low
rate
of
migration
in
recent
years.
As
villages
are
coming
closer
to
small
towns,
people
are
commuting
to
work
rather
than
migrating
to
urban
areas.
This
allows
new
growth
opportunities
for
rural
Indians. - Safety
nets
have
been
an
essential
component
of
poverty
reduction
policies
in
India,
providing
income
and
nutrition
assistance
across
different
stages
of
life.
However,
the
objectives
and
design
of
India’s
safety
net
programs,
whether
food
or
cash
based,
need
to
evolve
with
economic
growth
and
the
changing
nutritional
needs
of
marginalized
populations.
About
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
The
Tata-Cornell
Institute
(TCI)
was
founded
with
the
generous
support
of
Ratan
Tata
’62
(AAP),
former
chairman
of
the
Tata
Group
of
India.
Through
the
Tata
Education
and
Development
Trust,
Tata
provided
$25
million
to
Cornell
University
to
support
a
long-term
research
initiative.
TCI
conducts
research,
provides
thought
leadership,
and
engages
stakeholders
working
in
agriculture,
nutrition,
and
food
policy.
TC
I
is
part
of
the
College
of
Agriculture
and
Life
Sciences
and
hosted
by
the
Charles
H.
Dyson
School
of
Applied
Economics
and
Management.
Learn
more
about
the
Tata-Cornell
Institute
and
how
to
read
their
new
book
here.