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Cornell University

Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Publication type: Policy Briefs

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...

Empowerment Is Key for Women’s Nutrition Amid India’s Urban Shift

This policy brief presents the findings of a TCI study examining the effect of women’s nutritional empowerment on dietary diversity within households situated in areas along a continuum from rural to urban. Using data from the National Family Health Survey and satellite-based data on nighttime...
Policy brief titled Pathways for Achieving Zero-Hunger, (Net) Zero-Carbon Food Systems in Bihar

Pathways for Achieving Zero-Hunger, (Net) Zero-Carbon Food Systems in Bihar

This special policy brief provides estimates of the potential reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that could be achieved in Bihar by adopting three transformational technologies in the state’s agricultural sector: alternate wetting and drying, advanced artificial insemination, and anti-methanogenic feed supplements. This analysis provides...

Pandemic-Era Disruptions Linked to 14% Increase in Underweight Children

This policy brief presents the findings of a TCI study that examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s nutrition in India. Using TARINA survey data, researchers found a 14% increase in underweight children after pandemic-related lockdowns. Based on these results, TCI recommends that...

Men’s Education Tied to Improved Household Nutrition

This policy brief presents the findings of a TCI study assessing the impact of men’s education on household and women’s dietary diversity, an indicator of overall nutrition. Using survey data collected as part of the TARINA project, TCI researchers found that men’s education has a...
Policy brief on promoting millets in the PDS

Promoting Millets in the Public Distribution System

This special policy brief provides cost-saving estimates associated with the potential introduction of millets into India’s Public Distribution System (PDS), which provides subsidized food to more than 800 million people. This analysis provides policymakers and other stakeholders with valuable information that can be used to...
True Cost of the PDS Special Policy Brief

Revealing the Hidden Production Costs of India’s Public Distribution System

This policy brief presents preliminary estimates of the environmental and health-related costs associated with the production of food grain for India’s Public Distribution System (PDS), a program that provides subsidized food to more than 800 million Indians. This new analysis provides government policymakers, advocates, and...

Indian Obesity Varies by Gender, Rural/Urban Divide

This policy brief presents the findings of a TCI study examining differences in the incidence of overweight within India according to biological, technological, and environmental factors. The study shows that overweight and obesity rates are tied to such variables as gender and the level of...

COVID-19 Lockdowns Hurt Women’s Nutrition Security

This policy brief presents the findings of a TCI study analyzing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the availability of non-staple and staple foods, as well as its effect on women’s diet diversity at the national, state, and district levels in four economically challenged districts of...

Increased Farm Work Worsens Women’s Nutrition

This policy brief presents the findings of a TCI study on the impact of time constraints like housework and agricultural activities on women’s nutritional outcomes. The study reveals that time trade-offs imposed on women by peak-season agricultural work are associated with a decrease in the...