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With research staff from more than 60 countries, and offices across the globe, IFPRI provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.

researcher spotlight

Elodie Becquey

Elodie Becquey is a Senior Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit, based in IFPRI’s West and Central Africa office in Senegal. She has over 15 years of research experience in diet, nutrition, and food security in Africa, including countries such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania.

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experts

Natural Resources and Resilience

Vartika Singh

Senior Research Analyst

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Bio

Vartika Singh is a Senior Research Analyst in the Natural Resources and Resilience Unit, based in New Delhi, and a Senior Research Officer at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Humboldt University in Berlin and a guest researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany. Her research interest is in the nexus of food-water-energy and land. She works with partial equilibrium (PE) and computable general equilibrium (CGE) models to study the integrated impact of water, energy, and climate policies toward developing sustainable transformation pathways for India in a global context. These activities constitute the core of her dissertation and are part of the CGIAR Nexus Gains Initiative. She has also worked on applied behavioral microeconomic experiments aimed at addressing barriers to sustainable intensification of agriculture as part of the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project.

Vartika holds a master’s degree in development studies from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, India, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hindu College, Delhi University, India.

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Publications

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Integrated land systems for sustainable food production and biodiversity conservation in the semi-arid to moist tropics: Stakeholder perspectives from Andhra Pradesh, India

2025
Berger, Iris; Bhan, Manan; Bhangaonkar, Rekha; Chaudhary, Abhishek; Mallapu, Gopinath R.; Nair, Tanaya; Ramireddy, Eswarayya; Raj, Rengalakshmi; Ramprasad, Vijay; Sankararaman, Vishnupriya
…more Singh, Vartika; Hareesha, A. S.; Basu, Parthiba; Bheemappa, Boraiah; Biradar, Chandrashekhar; Chatterjee, Archana; Dagam, Ramdas; Devarathna, Israel Oliver King Edwin; Gergan, Reuben; Patibandla, Vinuthna; Paul, Benjamin; Pulluri, Vamshi Krishna; Rajamani, Nandini; Ramireddy, Mounika; Siddiqui, Imran; Ramachari, Sowmithri Vadaganambi; Tampal, Farida; Udayraj, Swati; Venkateswarlu, Tata; Dicks, Lynn V.
Details

Integrated land systems for sustainable food production and biodiversity conservation in the semi-arid to moist tropics: Stakeholder perspectives from Andhra Pradesh, India

Land systems must urgently be transformed for social and environmental sustainability, which necessitates a better integration of food system and biodiversity governance. This is particularly pronounced in the south-Indian state Andhra Pradesh, where one of the largest agroecological transitions globally, namely Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), is currently underway, but involvement of conservation scientists and practitioners has been minimal and policy spheres are disjunct. Here, we report the results of a multi-stakeholder exercise to ascertain the multi-scalar and multi-institutional transformations needed for Andhra Pradesh ‘s landscapes to deliver both food and biodiversity targets. To achieve a vision of an equitable and sustainable food system and of multifunctional and nature-positive land systems, we advocate for an end to harmful subsidies, improvements in infrastructures and social organisations, dietary shifts, and creation of both supporting financial structures and sustainable and transparent value chains. We stress that approaches should be participatory and link across policy domains and scales, bridging bottom-up and top-down perspectives, and with spatial planning critical to balancing land system objectives. Specifically, we stress that the ZBNF transition needs to be better aligned with state-level conservation strategies to maximise biodiversity benefits. Top priority knowledge needs include quantifying the multidimensional performance and scaling-potential of agroecological systems, the effectiveness of different conservation interventions, and how different land system objectives trade off against each other. Our work highlights a lack of data and capacity sharing, which can be addressed through intersectoral partnerships and collaborative programmes to create effective, research-based policies and land management strategies.

Year published

2025

Authors

Berger, Iris; Bhan, Manan; Bhangaonkar, Rekha; Chaudhary, Abhishek; Mallapu, Gopinath R.; Nair, Tanaya; Ramireddy, Eswarayya; Raj, Rengalakshmi; Ramprasad, Vijay; Sankararaman, Vishnupriya; Singh, Vartika; Hareesha, A. S.; Basu, Parthiba; Bheemappa, Boraiah; Biradar, Chandrashekhar; Chatterjee, Archana; Dagam, Ramdas; Devarathna, Israel Oliver King Edwin; Gergan, Reuben; Patibandla, Vinuthna; Paul, Benjamin; Pulluri, Vamshi Krishna; Rajamani, Nandini; Ramireddy, Mounika; Siddiqui, Imran; Ramachari, Sowmithri Vadaganambi; Tampal, Farida; Udayraj, Swati; Venkateswarlu, Tata; Dicks, Lynn V.

Citation

Berger, Iris; Bhan, Manan; Bhangaonkar, Rekha; Chaudhary, Abhishek; Mallapu, Gopinath R.; Nair, Tanaya; et al. 2025. Integrated land systems for sustainable food production and biodiversity conservation in the semi-arid to moist tropics: Stakeholder perspectives from Andhra Pradesh, India. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 9: 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1594356

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Biodiversity Conservation; Capacity Development; Food Production; Sustainability; Stakeholders

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1594356 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

A comparison of the effects of local and EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations on selected economic and environmental outcomes in India

2025Singh, Vartika; Stevanović, Miodrag; Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon; Mishra, Abhijeet; Ghosh, Ranjan Kumar; Popp, Alexander; Lotze-Campen, Hermann
Details

A comparison of the effects of local and EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations on selected economic and environmental outcomes in India

The global discourse is nearly unanimous that dietary transitions are crucial to achieve sustainability goals. In this context, healthy dietary recommendations offer demand-side solutions towards minimizing environmental impacts from food production. However, these guidelines have also faced some criticism for their blanket approach and limited consideration of regional preferences. Using a validated food-economy-environment integrated modelling framework, we compare between two types of healthy diets − the globally recommended EAT-Lancet diets and Indian government’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) local diets − by examining their impacts on agricultural production, agricultural commodity prices, food expenditures, trade impacts, Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and water withdrawals. Our results suggest that the adoption of regional recommendations (NIN diets) lead to better outcomes for select economic and environmental indicators. When India shifts to NIN diet, its domestic demand for cereal crops decreases, leading to a 36 % reduction in cereal crop production by 2050 and change in demand for sugars and animal-sourced foods (ASFs). This has the potential to reduce commodity prices of food by upto 24 % by 2050. A shift to the NIN diet in India reduces methane (CH4) emissions by 36 % and N2O by 35 % compared to business-as-usual, performing better than the EAT-Lancet diet, which reduces CH4 emissions by 13 %. Water withdrawals reduce almost by the same value under both the dietary scenarios primarily due to lesser dependence on cereal crops and livestock products. These findings remain consistent in our sensitivity analysis, with varying global trade scenarios, offering greater benefits of food systems transformation through liberal trade policies. Our analysis underscores the pivotal role of regional inclusivity in global assessments, enhancing our comprehension of how food systems can be reimagined to align with both food security and environmental sustainability.

Year published

2025

Authors

Singh, Vartika; Stevanović, Miodrag; Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon; Mishra, Abhijeet; Ghosh, Ranjan Kumar; Popp, Alexander; Lotze-Campen, Hermann

Citation

Singh, Vartika; Stevanović, Miodrag; Bodirsky, Benjamin Leon; Mishra, Abhijeet; Ghosh, Ranjan Kumar; Popp, Alexander; and Lotze-Campen, Hermann. 2025. A comparison of the effects of local and EAT-Lancet dietary recommendations on selected economic and environmental outcomes in India. Food Policy 134(July 2025): 102898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102898

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Production; Capacity Development; Environment; Food Systems; Healthy Diets; Sustainability; Water

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2025.102898 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Resource thumbnail

Preprint

An Inclusive agri-food systems transformation pathway for India

2024
Singh, Vartika; Das, Prantika; Stevanovic, Miodrag; Jha, Chandan; Bodirsky, Benjamin; Beier, Felicitas; Humpenöder, Florian; Leip, Debbora; Chen, David; Crawford, Michael
…more von Jeetze, Patrick; Bacca, Edna Molina; Soergel, Bjoern; Springmann, Marco; Dietrich, Jan; Popp, Alexander; Ghosh, Ranjan Kumar; Lotze-Campen, Hermann
Details

An Inclusive agri-food systems transformation pathway for India

Although India has transformed from a food scarce to a food self-sufficient nation, the challenges of nutrition security, regional inequalities, and unsustainable agricultural practices persist. Existing policies lack an integrated vision for and implementation of holistic food system changes. This study undertakes a food system assessment for India using a global food system modelling framework, evaluating 23 food system measures on 14 indicators across dimensions of health, environment, inclusion, and economy. The food system measures include healthy diets, biosphere protection, agriculture management, equitable livelihood, and external reforms. Results indicate that 13 out of 14 indicators including nutrition and environmental outcomes improve due to synergistic effects driven by coordinated interventions, reducing trade-offs among the four dimensions of the food system. While progress is observed in most health and environmental indicators, challenges such as rising obesity and nitrogen pollution persist. Our attempt to quantify the dynamics of India’s food system under different scenarios enables understanding the trade-offs across dimensions. The comprehensive and forward-looking food system outcomes that this study elucidates aid in the identification of pivotal intervention points and facilitate strategizing policies for transformative changes.

Year published

2024

Authors

Singh, Vartika; Das, Prantika; Stevanovic, Miodrag; Jha, Chandan; Bodirsky, Benjamin; Beier, Felicitas; Humpenöder, Florian; Leip, Debbora; Chen, David; Crawford, Michael; von Jeetze, Patrick; Bacca, Edna Molina; Soergel, Bjoern; Springmann, Marco; Dietrich, Jan; Popp, Alexander; Ghosh, Ranjan Kumar; Lotze-Campen, Hermann

Citation

Singh, Vartika; Das, Prantika; Stevanovic, Miodrag; Jha, Chandan; Bodirsky, Benjamin; et al. 2024. An Inclusive agri-food systems transformation pathway for India. Preprint available August 16, 2024. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4767324/v1

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Inclusion; Agrifood Systems; Nutrition Security; Health

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open AccessCC-BY-4.0

Links

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4767324/v1 Source record

Project

NEXUS Gains

Record type

Preprint

Blogs

Groundwater conservation and food security: Navigating pathways to sustainable agriculture
IFPRI Blog
 | 
July 15, 2024

Groundwater conservation and food security: Navigating pathways to sustainable agriculture

By Vartika Singh and Claudia Ringler

Tradeoffs must be carefully managed.

Experts identify policy gaps in fertilizer application in India
IFPRI Blog
 | 
January 03, 2019

Experts identify policy gaps in fertilizer application in India

By Vartika Singh and Dakshinamurthy Vedachalam

Innovation in the fertilizer industry and in reaching farmers with best practices and knowledge are key to improving fertilizer application and crop health in India.

Designing a better Soil Health Card for farmers in India
IFPRI Blog
 | 
March 19, 2018

Designing a better Soil Health Card for farmers in India

By Vartika Singh and Sujata Ganguly

The government of India has distributed 100 million cards to help farmers monitor soil health. But many are finding them overly technical and difficult to use.

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Events

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Towards Impact at Scale
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

December 2 to 4, 2025

Delivering for Nutrition in South Asia: Towards Impact at Scale

South Asia continues to face an enduring burden of malnutrition in all its forms—undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and a steady increase in overweight and obesity and non-communicable diseases. Over 1 billion people in South Asia cannot afford a healthy diet. While many promising solutions have emerged, translating them into sustained, large-scale impact remains a challenge. This […]

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists
IFPRI at External Event

 | 

August 2 to 7, 2024

32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists

The triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE-2024), centred on the theme “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” is scheduled from August 2-7, 2024, in New Delhi, India. The conference offers a distinctive platform, providing a golden opportunity for the agricultural academic institutions and researchers to convene in person, exchange knowledge, and actively contribute to the […]

From Research to Impact: Towards just and Resilient Agri-food Systems
IFPRI Program/Country Event

 | 

October 9 to 12, 2023

From Research to Impact: Towards just and Resilient Agri-food Systems

Conference: October 09, 2023 – 9:00 AM to October 12, 2023 – 6:00 PM IST. IFPRI is participating in the 2023 annual CGIAR gender research conference will take place in New Delhi, India.

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News

June 14, 2024 | Press Release

New study emphasizes tradeoffs between arresting groundwater depletion and food security

A new study published today in Nature Sustainability, reaffirms the world’s growing dependence on depleting groundwater systems.

March 19, 2023 | In the News

MC explains | Maharashtra’s onion crisis: The reasons and the repercussions (Money Control) 

“Maharashtra’s onion farmers, the star producers of India’s perennial kitchen staple, are staring at huge losses. This is likely to have a serious impact on onion harvest going ahead,” writes Money Control in a story on onion prices. Farmers are demanding the lifting of the ban on onion exports. There have also been reports of […]