Research Area: Agriculture Transformation, Food Systems & Nutrition Transition

Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition in Bihar: Getting to Zero Hunger
TCI’s 2022 report on Food, Agriculture, and Nutrition in Bihar (FAN-Bihar) provides a detailed reassessment of the food system approach for achieving the 2nd Sustainable Development Goal (SDG2) — zero hunger by 2030 — in Bihar. The report emphasizes the high rates of malnutrition in...

Essays on the Effects of Migration & Remittances on Households in Rural India
Abstract This dissertation focuses on the effects of migration and remittances on the welfare of families left-behind, in the context of farming households in rural India. Labor migration is heavily male dominant in India, and women and children are often left behind. Though internal migration...

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...

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,...

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...

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…

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...

The Diversified Food System in India: Are We Budgeting Well?
TCI-TARINA Policy Brief No. 12, May 2018

Towards Developing Diversified Food Systems in Bihar for Improving Nutritional Outcomes
TCI-TARINA Policy Brief No. 11, May 2018

Crop-neutral Agricultural Policy: Creating a Level Playing Field for More Nutritious, Non-staple Foods in India
TCI-TARINA Policy Brief No. 9, October 2017