Iron, an important micronutrient for normal body functioning and stamina, is deficient across the world and severely affects women and children in developing countries as reported by WHO. Common symptoms of iron deficiency lead to lower level of stamina, fatigue and muscle pain, consequently decreasing productivity and hence, the standard of life. Despite such serious consequences, dietary iron intake is low…

Over the last year, I was conducting fieldwork in the Kandhamal District of Odisha, India. We implemented a goat feeding experiment with Kondha tribal farmers in the forest fringe areas of Tikabali Block. Livestock management in the project area was extensive (as opposed to intensive) where animals openly graze with minimal or no oversight. Quantity and quality of grazing areas have…

On Wednesday, March 22nd, TCI Director Prabhu Pingali presented “Promoting a More Nutritious Food System in India – Progress Report on the BMGF Grant to TCI.” This event occured on Cornell’s Ithaca campus. This seminar is co-sponsored by CIIFAD and the Soil and Crop Sciences Section of SIPS, the Department of Natural Resources, and The Dyson School of Applied…

Every year, 188,000 children under five in India die due to diarrhea-related illnesses. This catastrophic burden on children’s health is largely due to the fact that over a third of the Indian population defecates in the open. Open defecation (OD) also has strong gender impacts; women feel constrained to relieve themselves only under the cover of…

Prof. Prabhu Pingali, Director of TCI traveled to Vatican City to participate in a workshop on “Biological Extinction” organized by the Vatican Academy of Sciences from February 27 to March 1, 2017. He presented his paper on “The Green Revolution and Crop Biodiversity”.

By Prabhu Pingali, Megan Witwer, & Mathew Abraham. This chapter appears in International Society and Sustainable Development Goals (pp. 175–202), edited by P. D. Y. Lalaguna, C. M. D. Barrado, & C. R. F. Liesa. Pamplona, Spain: Thomson Reuters Aranzadi.(2016). Learn more about the book and its launch.

On February 24, 2017, TCI-TARINA hosted a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategy workshop in New Delhi. Dr. Mark Constas (TCI Fellow) and Dr. Prabhu Pingali (TCI Director), both of whom are Professors of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, led the workshop titled “M&E Systems for Organizational Effectiveness: Why Organizations Should Care and Strategies for Engagement.” Dr. Constas and…

On February 3, 2017, TCI-TARINA and the Institute of Food Security (Food Corporation of India, FCI) jointly hosted a seminar in New Delhi titled the “National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Beyond: Challenges and Opportunities.” The day-long seminar encouraged policy experts to view the NFSA through a food systems lens. Among the topics discussed were: diversification…

I have been lodged in Mahrajganj, Uttar Pradesh for the past month and a half with the purpose of conducting the survey for two chapters of my doctoral thesis. For this study, I have had the gracious support of the entire TCI team and our partnering NGO Grameen Development Services (GDS). This work has often been fast, chaotic, and fun, and…

The Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) is pleased to offer funding for a 6-8 week student internship program in India during the Summer of 2017. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis. Interns will contribute to the ongoing research projects developed by TCI in conjunction with our flagship project TARINA. Placements may…