Agriculture-Nutrition Pathway in India

Raghav Gaiha, Nidhi Kaicker, Katsushi Imai and Ganesh Thapa
Additional contact information
Raghav Gaiha: Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
Nidhi Kaicker: School of Business, Public Policy and Social Entrepreneurship, Ambedkar University, Delhi, India
Ganesh Thapa: International Fund for Agricultural Development, Rome, Italy

No DP2012-16, Discussion Paper Series from Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University

Abstract: Our analysis illustrates one pathway between agriculture and nutrition through production of nutrients by crop and size as well as through livestock. As this pathway is subsumed in agriculture and nutrition studies focusing on anthropometric outcomes, and hardly any light is thrown on the contribution of smallholders, it is emphasised that they play an important role as producers of nutrients. Specifically, despite various disadvantages (e.g. inadequate access to extension, technology, credit and markets), they contribute largest shares of calories, protein and fats. However, profits earned (using an approximate measure) are considerably lower among them than among medium and large landholders. At least two reasons are identified in our analysis: one is limited access to markets and another is lower crop prices. A much greater emphasis on enabling higher investment, access to technology and markets through better rural infrastructure would help increase profitability of crop production. Equally important are market imperfections that manifest in lower crop prices for smallholders. How economies of scale could be exploited through farmers' groups needs careful scrutiny.

Keywords: Agriculture; Food crops; Livestock; Smallholders; Calorie; Protein and fat (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I15 N35 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 17 pages
Date: 2012-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr
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https://www.rieb.kobe-u.ac.jp/academic/ra/dp/English/DP2012-16.pdf First version, 2012 (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Agriculture-Nutrition Pathway in India (2012)
Working Paper: Agriculture-Nutrition Pathway in India (2012)
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