Tag: Prabhu Pingali

Information Is Key to Ending Open Defecation
This policy brief presents the results of a study of the impact of toilet subsidies and behavior change communications on the practice of open defecation in rural India. TCI researchers conducted a cluster randomized trial of villages in Uttar Pradesh, providing one group of villages...

Information Is Key to Making India Open-Defecation-Free
Solving a problem like open defecation is not as simple as installing toilets. In 2019, after decades of work, India scored a major developmental victory by providing 600 million people with access to toilets. But while the toilets were built,…

Addressing Information and Credit Barriers to Making India Open Defecation Free and Improving Child Health: Evidence from a Cluster Randomized Trial in Rural India
Abstract Read a policy brief based on this study. Background Open defecation (OD) remains a significant public health challenge in India, contributing to adverse child health outcomes. Eliminating OD and improving child health necessitates both universal access and adoption of toilets. Despite the success of...

These Are the Keys to Promoting Artificial Insemination for Livestock
With the world’s population growing and dietary preferences changing, rising demand for animal-based food products like milk presents an opportunity for farmers in the developing world. Artificial insemination can help these farmers improve their productivity and increase their incomes, so…

Understanding the Determinants of Farmers’ Adoption of Artificial Insemination in Livestock
Abstract Read a policy brief based on this study. The adoption of artificial insemination (AI) in livestock is a crucial factor in enhancing breeding efficiency, livestock productivity, and income opportunities for farmers. However, the adoption of AI among farmers can vary significantly, influenced by a...

Smart Foods for Smarter Policies: Millets in India’s Public Distribution System
As India intensifies efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition, the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are helping Indian policymakers with evidence-based strategies to include millet in the…

Chhattisgarh Can Reduce Ag Emissions Through Diversification
India has made enormous progress against hunger by incentivizing the production of staple grains like rice and wheat. Yet, as climate change advances, the country’s dependence on rice is becoming a burden due both to its large environmental footprint and…

Making Supermarkets Profitable for India’s Small Farms
This policy brief presents the results of a study examining the impact of supermarkets on smallholder farmers in India. Using field survey data collected from 795 farm households across four states representing India’s varied agroclimatic and socioeconomic regions, researchers found that farmers who sold to...

TCI Publishes 2023–24 Annual Report
The Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) has published its 2023–24 Annual Report.
The report offers an in-depth look at the full range of TCI’s research and other activities, including projects like Zero-Hunger, Zero-Carbon Food Systems, and field research…

Do Supermarkets Help India’s Small Farmers? It Depends.
When supermarkets first began spreading across India, they brought hope that smallholder farmers could make more money by selling them fresh, high-quality produce. Decades later, has that benefit materialized?
New research from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI)…