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Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Tag: FPO-Led Small Farm Market Access Models

Pallavi Rajkhowa taking notes at a soybean warehouse

FPOs Would Get Boost from Centralized Database

India is betting big on farmer producer organizations (FPOs) to boost its agricultural sector and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers, but its efforts would be enhanced by the creation of a centralized system of tracking FPOs, according to the…

Identifying the Number of FPOs Promoted in India

This special policy brief provides an estimate of the number of active farmer producer organizations (FPOs) promoted in India from 2003 to 2024 and makes the case for a centralized system for tracking FPOs. A system to identify and track FPO promotion and performance in...
A farmer looks at the FPO database on her computer

How Many FPOs Are There in India? How We Counted the Number of Farmer Producer Organizations

Farmer producer organizations (FPOs) have the potential to significantly aid smallholder agricultural development through the power of aggregation. In India, where most farms are smaller than a hectare, well-functioning FPOs can boost farm incomes through better market linkages and increased…
A farmer looks at the FPO database on her computer

Building India’s First FPO Data Dashboard

“How many FPOs are there in India?” This seemingly simple question marked the beginning of an unexpected challenge when I began working on the Tata-Cornell Institute’s project on FPO-Led Small Farm Market Access Models in 2019. Farmer producer organizations (FPOs)…
Jute sacks of soybeans

How Soybean FPOs Can Use Futures Contracts to Manage Risk

Price volatility affects all members of the agricultural value chain, but smallholder farmers in developing countries are particularly vulnerable to adverse prices. In general, price hedging mechanisms for smallholder farmers are limited and, in many cases, not used. With appropriate…
A soybean warehouse in Latur

Soybean Value Chains and Market Efficiency: Lessons from a Field Visit to FPOs in Latur

In a recent visit to Latur, a district in Maharashtra, India, we gained an understanding of the marketing channels and infrastructure available for local soybean producers. In India, Latur is a significant agricultural hub for soybean cultivation, with the second-highest…
A man harvesting coffee beans

A Tale of Two Aggregation Models: FPO Promotion in India and Mexico

This is the first in a series of blog posts exploring the experiences of farmer producer organizations (FPOs) and FPO promotion in India and Latin America. The next post will examine soy bean value chains and FPOs in Maharashtra, India.…
farmer with wife collecting fresh raw egg plants in baskets from his green farm

TCI Awarded a New Grant from Walmart Foundation to Enhance Its FPO Database

The Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) is embarking on the next phase of its project to support smallholder farmers in India through the promotion of effective farmer producer organization (FPO) models. The centerpiece of this effort is the…
A farmer tending to blue agave plants

Report Explores Evidence on FPOs and Other Farm Aggregation Models

The average size of farms in developing countries of the world is 2 hectares or less. Smallholder farmers who rely on agriculture as their primary source of income often live in poverty. By joining together with other smallholders, farmers can…
Cover of "Aggregation Models and Small Farm Commercialization"

Aggregation Models and Small Farm Commercialization: An Annotated Bibliography of Relevant Literature

Smallholder aggregation models around the globe have the potential to contribute significantly to agricultural growth and productivity by facilitating improved access to credit, inputs, markets, and information. Aggregation models, including farmer producer organizations (FPOs) and cooperatives, are institutional arrangements by which small and marginal farmers,...