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Cornell University

Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Tag: Food & Ag-Science Innovations

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...
Men examining plants

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…
A woman tends to a field of rice

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…

Soils and Human Health: Communication Between Geo-Environmental, Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle of Rural Tribal Women of Jharkhand, India and Their Mineral Nutrition

Abstract A holistic view on possible determinants of human health within a poor subsistence farming community is important to addressing pressing issues surrounding hidden hunger. This survey study assesses the mineral nutrition of women in rural tribal communities of Jharkhand, India, and its possible connection...
Biochar

How Biochar Can Help Renew Degraded Tropical Soils

Agricultural soils around the world are under increasing pressure as urbanization covers once prime farmland with concrete and asphalt while intensified agricultural production degrades soil fertility. Yet even as their soils’ fertility declines, farmers around the world will be expected…
Gloved hands holding grains of rice

Genome Editing: The Next Big Revolution in Indian Agriculture

Innovation has been the foundation of major agricultural advancements that have improved food security in India. While the 1960s saw high-yield dwarf crop varieties enter breeding research, the Green Revolution scaled up breeding for commodity crops to a whole new…
Kathryn Merckel holding a baby goat

After Conducting a Nutrition Study in India, a TCI Alumna Goes Global

As a TCI scholar pursuing a PhD in international nutrition, Kathryn Merckel led a trial testing the potential of orange-fleshed sweet potato to improve nutritional outcomes in Uttar Pradesh, India. After graduating in 2020, Merckel now works to improve nutrition…
Tractor tracks running through soil on farmland

Soil Health: What You Should Know

Healthy soils are key to producing nutritious foods. In hopes of boosting agricultural productivity in India, TCI’s Soil Health Project in Bihar examines the links between soil health, land management, and cropping systems to assess their impact on agricultural yields.…
Three different crops growing on a farm

The Who and Where of Farm-Level Crop Diversity in Bihar

What types of households have more diverse farms, and why does it matter? Spatial crop diversity — growing more than one crop in a field or on a farm simultaneously — has been associated with higher levels of biodiversity, soil…
Cornell insignia

Soil Health, a Basis for Human Health: A Study on the Interlinkages between Agronomic Factors and Human Nutritional Wellbeing in Jharkand, India

Abstract The resources that shape our environment, including soils, play an immense role in determining our health. Yet, not much attention has been given to the study of the soil–human health nexus. In this dissertation, we address this research deficiency by conducting a cross sectional...