A new report from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) and the Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD) Lucknow provides the first comprehensive assessment of the Indian government’s push to promote farmer producer organizations (FPOs) as a means to advance agricultural development in the country. “The State of Farmer Producer Organizations in India:…

India faces a difficult challenge in the near future: producing enough food to feed its growing population while reducing the stresses agriculture puts on the environment. At a policy dialogue organized by the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) on Monday, February 16, researchers, government officials and key stakeholders from private industry and civil…

Every day, India’s Kisan Call Centers field thousands of calls from farmers seeking information or advice from agricultural extension agents. Do all those calls add up to improved outcomes on the farm? New research from an alumnus of the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) shows that the provision of digital extension services is…

This is the final post in a four-part series exploring the connection between food packaging and food loss and waste within sustainable food systems, focusing on nutritious, perishable foods. Throughout this series, food loss and waste will be defined as a reduction in the quantity or quality of the edible portion of food intended for human…

This blog post is the third in a four-part series exploring the connection between food packaging and food loss and waste within sustainable food systems, focusing on nutritious, perishable foods. Throughout this series, food loss and waste will be defined as a reduction in the quantity or quality of the edible portion of food intended…

On December 18, 2025, the Indian government passed the Viksit Bharat—Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G Ram G) bill in both houses of the parliament, proposing to replace the nearly two‑decade‑old Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The bill promises 125 days of wage employment—25 more than the current guarantee—alongside weekly wage payments…

This blog post is the second in a series exploring the connection between food packaging and food loss and waste within sustainable food systems, focusing on nutritious, perishable foods. Throughout this series, food loss and waste will be defined as a reduction in the quantity or quality of the edible portion of food intended for…

This blog post is the first in a series exploring the connection between food packaging and food loss and waste within sustainable food systems, focusing on nutritious, perishable foods. Throughout this series, FLW will be defined as a reduction in the quantity or quality of the edible portion of food intended for human consumption when…

Most nutritionists are concerned with what foods people are putting into their bodies. Tata-Cornell Institute (TCI) alumna Jocelyn Boiteau is troubled by the food that doesn’t make it there—the fruits and vegetables that wither on the vine, are lost in transport, or are scraped off plates into garbage bins. As a nutrition researcher, she studies…

Across Bihar, livestock rearing is central to rural livelihoods. Yet low productivity, high input costs, and rising methane emissions pose long-term challenges for both farmers and the environment. Bihar has one of the largest cattle populations in India, but productivity remains low, driven in part by a high proportion of unproductive, non-descript cattle. At the…