Agriculture- Nutrition Research Nikhil Raj, Director, TCI-TARINA 28th September 2017

TCI-TARINA: Under the TCI for Agriculture and Nutrition at Cornell University, TARINA is the flagship programme which is essentially a consortium of research institutes, development practitioners & NGOs Objective To tackle malnutrition in India by promoting more nutrition- sensitive food system that enhances the availability and affordability of diverse, high-quality and nutrient-rich foods for the rural poor. Activities TARINA provides a mix of technical assistance, evidence generation and capacity building for the design and implementation of agricultural projects, programs and policies that ensure improved nutrition outcomes. About TCI-TARINA

Presentation Structure Embedding the Food Systems Approach to Address Nutrition Outcomes Diversifying food systems in India: Emerging questions TCI- TARINA & Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture: an effort towards promoting a diversified food system

The Food Systems Approach A possible starting point for Agri-Nutrition Research

A food systems approach What is a food system? All individuals, enterprises, and institutions that influence the supply, demand, consumption, and absorption of food and micronutrients. GOAL: Improving the rural poor’s year-round access to affordable, diverse, and quality foods PATHWAY: Knowledge of factors that influence both agriculture and nutrition within and between different stages of the food supply chain, as well as within and between different scales, from households to villages, districts and beyond.

Multi-sectoral pathways towards improved nutrition HOUSEHOLD FOOD SUPPLY & INCOME HOUSEHOLD ACCESS TO MICRONUTRIENTS NUTRIENT ABSORPTION & UTILIZATION INTRA-HOUSEHOLD ALLOCATION PATHWAY SANITATION PATHWAY FOOD DIVERSITY PATHWAY INCOME PATHWAY HOUSEHOLD FOOD ACCESS (Quantity, quality and diversity of food) INDIVIDUAL NUTRITION (Individual intake and absorption of nutrient-dense foods) IMPROVED NUTRITION OUTCOMES ALLOCATION OF FOOD TO WOMEN & CHILDREN 1) Area of land cropped is not shown but it is + and ***

Diversifying food systems in India Emerging questions

India’s Food System Transformation Challenges Meeting the rising demand for diet diversity Promoting food system diversity for better nutrition outcomes - Food system still predominantly staple cereal based & vegetarian Making nutritious food affordable to the poor Improving the nutrition-sensitivity of the safety net programs

Is agricultural supply responding to the rising demand for diversity? X  Availability of pulses remains a challenge- regional patterns changing – with lower production in the north Indian states; Concentration of cereal production – (as % of GCA) - high concentration in the north Indian states and Eastern India); Limited crop diversity Rising price trends of protein rich food – milk, meat Pulses production - MP and Maharashtra have shown an increase in pulses production when seen over the last five decades; Fruits and vegetables production has increased in states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu underlying the evolving relative importance of nutritious crops Rise in milk producing animals vs. draft power (as measured in female to male cows and buffaloes; ratio being 2:1 to as high as 5: 1 and even 20: 1 in states like Punjab and Haryana)

Why is smallholder response for non-staple crop production so low? Smallholder agriculture drives India’s food systems (more than 85 per cent of farm holdings are small) Policy bias towards staple grains Persistence of Green Revolution era policy – price supports, input/credit subsidies, irrigation infrastructure and R&D to increase staple grain productivity Poorly developed market infrastructure for perishable products – fruit, vegetables, dairy and meat High skill and knowledge requirements for switching to higher value crops High transaction costs for smallholder integration into the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable (FFV) and livestock value chains

How nutrition-sensitive are the safety net programs? Purpose PDS Hunger Mitigation ICDS Early life child development MDMS Increasing school enrolment National Food Security Act, 2013 Re-iterates the focus on staple food and calories Role of pulses and coarse cereals is recognized but procurement remains a question Is there enough incentive for farmers to produce other nutritious crops?

TCI- TARINA & Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture

TARINA aims to build better connections between factors influencing agriculture and nutrition within and between stages of the food supply chain.

Agri-nutrition research at TARINA: at a glance

Agri-nutrition research at TARINA: at a glance

Papers & Publications

Agri-nutrition research at TARINA: capacity building

@TCI_TARINA tarina.tci@cornell.edu tarina.tci.cornell.edu