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Cornell University

Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Call for Papers: biofortification & value chains

Deadline update: Apply by October 31, 2018 to attend and present at an upcoming workshop, “Developing Biofortified Crops Value Chains for Nutritional Security in South Asia.”

This one-day workshop will explore innovative ways of developing biofortified food crop value chains. The event is organized by TCI, IFPRI-South Asia Office and the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG) in New Delhi. It will be held on January 31, 2019 in New Delhi. Learn more below.

Developing Biofortified Crops Value Chains for Nutritional Security in South Asia

Apply here by October 31, 2018.

The Tata-Cornell Institute (TCI)International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), South Asia Office and the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), New Delhi will organize a one-day workshop in New Delhi on January 31, 2019 to explore innovative ways of developing biofortified food crop value chains to accelerate the reduction in malnutrition and related diseases including night blindness, anaemia, child stunting, and to improve the social and economic welfare in South Asia in alignment with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. See concept note to learn more.

Workshop Objectives

The objectives of the workshop are to: (1) highlight policy options for reducing micronutrient malnutrition through biofortification research in terms of better social outcomes with reduced disease burden; (2) document and analyse value chain development for marketing biofortified food crops by overcoming existing bottlenecks; (3) draw upon experiences in other continents and countries for priority setting in terms of crops, nutrients, regions and desired incentive structures.

Thematic Areas

The workshop will be built around invited and submitted paper sessions that allow participants to present original research, share innovative ideas, and deliberate openly on pressing issues. Sessions are tentatively organized around the five overlapping thematic areas as follows:

  1. Consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for biofortified foods
  2. Brand building and product differentiation for higher demand and price premium
  3. Incentives and institutions for private investments in marketing and production
  4. Economic and agronomic performance of biofortified crops for farmer profitability
  5. Advances in micronutrient rich crop varieties and bioavailability

Invitation

The conference aims to bring together academicians from India and abroad, policymakers, donor agencies, private firms and industry organizations, and civil society. We invite scholars from social sciences, plant breeders, nutritionists, health professionals and related individuals to contribute papers with rigorous analysis on these issues. Papers will be reviewed for their suitability, rigor of analysis, and contribution. Papers presented in the workshop are proposed to be brought out as a book from a reputed publishing house. A limited number of travel grants will be made available for authors of accepted papers.

How to submit abstract

An extended abstract of 500-1000 words that states the objectives, data, methodology, preliminary findings and policy recommendations of the paper must be submitted by October 31, 2018 by applying and uploading a PDF of the abstract here. Authors are requested to provide detailed contact information, a series of keywords that best characterizes the paper, and the thematic area which the authors feel the paper would most appropriately fit.

Timelines

Abstracts must be submitted by October 31, 2018. The decision regarding accepted paper proposals will be communicated by November 15, 2018. Authors of accepted papers are expected to submit full papers before December 31, 2018. News and updates about the workshop can be viewed on the TCI website. Further information can be obtained by writing to chandra@iegindia.org.

Organizers

The organizers for the workshop are:

  • P.K. Joshi, Director, South Asia, International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi
  • N. Chandrasekhara Rao, Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi
  • Prabhu Pingali, Professor & Director, Tata-Cornell Institute, Ithaca, NY, USA