Tag: Food & Ag-Science Innovations
Accelerating Varietal Turnover in Smallholder Soybean Farms
“A lack of dynamism in varietal change in food crop production represents a wasted opportunity that is potentially high, exacting a heavy toll on poor producers and consumers alike.”
–Thomas S. Walker and Jeffrey Alwang
Crop Improvement, Adoption and Impact…
Demand-Side and Supply-Side Factors for Accelerating Varietal Turnover in Smallholder Soybean Farms
Abstract The rapid growth of soybean cultivation in the world augurs well for achieving SDG2 of promoting sustainable agriculture, ending hunger, achieving food security, and improving nutrition. India started promoting soybean cultivation in the 1970s to combat dietary protein deficiencies and augment smallholders’ incomes. However,...
Farmers and Consumers Pay the Price for Burdensome GM Regulations: The Case of GM Mustard in India
Policymakers in India have taken the first step to allow commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard. The conditional approval for the environmental release of the Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH)-11 and its parental events bn3.6 and modbs2.99, given by the…
Hybrid Mustard and Biotechnology: Pathways for Doubling Farmers’ Incomes and Nutritional Security
Abstract The government’s decision to move ahead on the much-delayed genetically modified mustard developed by the University of Delhi signifies a turnaround and bodes well for the country’s food system. Numerous tests over the last 20 years prove its safety for food, feed, and the...
Why Aren’t More Farmers Using Artificial Insemination for Goat Rearing?
As a source of income generation during crop failures, goat-rearing offers many advantages to smallholder farmers in India. But a lack of established markets and infrastructure leaves many farmers dependent on natural breeding practices instead of the more beneficial artificial…
Alumnus Pursues Cutting-Edge Food Science Innovations
TCI alumni shine in many different fields, including academics and development research. One recent alumnus is making a mark in private industry as a food scientist combining science, technology, and business acumen.
Rohil Sahai Bhatnagar, who received his PhD in…
Nutrition-Sensitive Food Systems and Biofortified Crops
Abstract The realization that economic growth is a necessary but insufficient condition for improving the nutritional status has led to a paradigm shift in addressing malnutrition through nutrition-sensitive development. Biofortification is one such nutrition-sensitive food system intervention designed to supply crucial micronutrients through staple diets...
In-Mouth, Self-Disintegrating Milk Protein Puffs-I: Process Development
Abstract This study elucidated the reactive role of the supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) process along with calcium chelation by added sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) in altering the physicochemical properties of milk protein concentrate (MPC) with added sucrose (MPC-S) to make expanded extrudates of defined microstructure that...
Improving Public Sector Plant Breeding for the Future of Food Security
Public plant breeding programs play a central role in tackling local food security challenges around the world, but how can we be sure that they are operating effectively and optimally at the institutional level? In this blog series, the Feed…
Study Reveals Complex Links Between Soil and Human Health
Nutrition doesn’t depend only on the type of food you eat. It is influenced by a complex network of factors, including soil, according to new research from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI).
In a study published in…