Related News Releases: India

A News Today (Bangladesh) article reported on teen pregnancy in India.

The Wire (India) reported on the 5th anniversary of a program to stop open defecation in the country.

State Times (India) reported on the status of rural income in India, referencing Director General Shenggen Fan. While the government has plans of doubling farmers’ income by 2022, economists and researchers offer an alternative--halving the number of farmers.

The Indian Express in an article on air pollution and its risk discussed findings from an IFPRI and partners. The study found that the economic cost of exposure to air pollution from crop residue burning at $35 billion, or nearly Rs. 2.35 lakh crore annually, for the three north Indian states of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. IFPRI has used India’s fourth District Level Health Survey data to correlate pollution with health impact. 

Pakistan & Gulf Economist reported on air quality and the UN Summit on climate change. IFPRI's research on air pollution from tree burning in India was highlighted. Every year, farmers in Northwest India burn 39 million tons of rice straw residue on their farms in order to clear the field for the next harvest. This open burning is one of the root causes of the air pollution in Delhi, and across India. This pollution is estimated to result in a loss of $30 billion USD annually.

In a Reuters op-ed, Division Director Channing Arndt, Director General Shenggen Fan, and Gates Foundation’s Nick Austin explain how growth in food demand over the next 40 years will concentrate in Africa and South Asia.

NewsLive.com (USA) in an article on pollution and clean air referenced an IFPRI study. Every year, farmers in Northwest India burn 39 million tons of rice straw residue on their farms in order to clear the field for the next harvest. This open burning is one of the root causes of the air pollution in Delhi, and across India, which is home to 9 out of 10 of the worlds most polluted cities.

The Asian Age discussed findings in the recently released Lancet Child and Adolescent Health report that indicated malnutrition still poses the underlying risk factor for 68 percent of the deaths in under-five children in India. IFPRI stated that “despite a four-fold increase in the number of women and children ICDS beneficiaries, there has been lower access for the uneducated women and women from the poorest households.”

The Times of India reported on a recent meeting on malnutrition in India and software that tackles malnutrition.

Mongabay (India) reported on children, resilience, and drought. Studying the linkage between climate and child growth is essential because regions and countries will experience more frequent and more severe droughts and floods in the coming years. Senior research fellow Liangzhi You stated that one way to curtail the detrimental effects of climate change  is "Nutritionally diverse crops systems [with] crops that respond differently to drought and extreme events."