Research area: Agriculture Transformation, Food Systems & Nutrition Transition

All Hat and No Cattle: Accountability Following the UN Food Systems Summit

Abstract The United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) is an important moment to garner political and financial attention to the challenges that food systems face. It is a difficult moment with many competing national and global priorities including massive inequities, rapid climate change and a...

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Multiple Risk Factors Contribute to Childhood Stunting in Karnataka, India

Abstract Childhood stunting remains a prominent metric in the health and development of modern India. In Karnataka, India, districts vary substantially in stunting prevalence. Here we take a close look at the nature of childhood stunting in the state: its epidemiology, genetics, biology, nutritional basis,...

PUBLICATIONS

Risk Factors in Childhood Stunting in Karnataka, India, Vary by Geography

Abstract Childhood stunting remains a public health concern in India. In Karnataka, the districts vary substantially in stunting prevalence. Using the NFHS-4 and AidData GEO datasets, we tested the hypothesis that ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ districts in Karnataka show different contributions to stunting. We found that...

PEOPLE

Whitman Barrett

Whitman Barrett received his MS in soil and crop sciences in 2024. His work focused on the reuse of human excreta in agriculture, with the goal of improving smallholder farmers’ productivity and resilience to climate change. He is passionate about…

PUBLICATIONS

Transitioning to an Obese India: Demographic and Structural Determinants of the Rapid Rise in Overweight Incidence

Abstract Read a policy brief based on this study. India, which has long suffered from undernutrition, has seen a rapid rise in overweight incidence in the last decade and a half. These changes are characterized by significant within-country differences in overweight incidence that vary by...