Subscribe

Back

Who we are

With research staff from more than 70 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

Lilia Bliznashka

Lily Bliznashka is a Research Fellow in the Nutrition, Diets, and Health Unit. Her research focuses on assessing the effectiveness of multi-input nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific interventions and the mechanisms through which they work to improve maternal and child health and nutrition globally. She has worked in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Back

What we do

Since 1975, IFPRI’s research has been informing policies and development programs to improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods around the world.

Research topics

Projects and impact

Food Security Portal

Modeling tools

What’s new

Where we work

Back

Where we work

IFPRI currently has more than 480 employees working in over 70 countries with a wide range of local, national, and international partners.

IFPRI Regional Programs

IFPRI Country and Regional Offices

Research by country and region

Subscribe

experts

Development Strategies and Governance

Avinash Kishore

Senior Research Fellow

Follow

Avinash

at:

ORCiD

Bio

Avinash Kishore is a Senior Research Fellow in the Development Strategies and Governance Unit, based in IFPRI’s South Asia Office in New Delhi. His research focuses on understanding how public policies and markets affect the adoption and non-adoption of sustainable technologies and practices in agriculture in South Asia. He leads research projects on understanding food systems in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal and the policy research component of the Cereals Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA)—a program implemented jointly by CIMMYT, IFPRI, and IRRI. Avinash also studies agriculture-nutrition linkages in India and the rising consumption of highly processed foods and food away from home.

Avinash joined IFPRI in 2012. He started his research career at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), where he worked on the energy-irrigation nexus in India. He is a founding board member of the Research Institute for Compassionate Economics (r.i.c.e.). Avinash has a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University and a master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University. He studied at the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA).

Languages spoken: Hindi, English

Publications

Google Scholar Citations

Google Scholar Profile

RePEc Author Profile

Publications

Resource thumbnail

Book Chapter

Mechanizing agriculture in Bangladesh: Trends, challenges, and policy priorities

2026Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Belton, Ben; Kishore, Avinash; Ahmed, Akhter
Details

Mechanizing agriculture in Bangladesh: Trends, challenges, and policy priorities

Agricultural mechanization has become a cornerstone of rural transformation in Bangladesh (Zhang et al. 2014). Since the 1980s, the country has made significant strides in mechanizing various stages of agricultural production, from land preparation to harvesting (Mottaleb, Krupnik, and Erenstein 2016; Rahman et al. 2021). As in India and other neighboring countries, both informal custom-hiring businesses and government support have enabled the widespread use of agricultural machinery in Bangladesh (Biggs and Justice 2015). Mechanization has helped address growing labor shortages, increase labor productivity and input-use efficiency, and raise farmers’ incomes (Islam 2021; Mandal 2017).

Year published

2026

Authors

Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Belton, Ben; Kishore, Avinash; Ahmed, Akhter

Citation

Karim, Md. Aminul; Shamma, Raisa; Bakhtiar, M. Mehrab; Belton, Ben; Kishore, Avinash; and Ahmed, Akhter. 2026. Mechanizing agriculture in Bangladesh: Trends, challenges, and policy priorities. In Transforming Smallholder Agriculture Through Mechanization in Asia: Volume 1: Pathways and Policies, eds. Ma, Wanglin; Rahut, Dil B.; and Sonobe, Tetsushi. Chapter 1, p. 1-42. https://doi.org/10.56506/OFAY7376

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Agricultural Mechanization; Ownership; Econometric Models; Labour; Gender; Profitability

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.56506/ofay7376 Source record

Record type

Book Chapter

Resource thumbnail

Book Chapter

What determines a farmer’s adoption of agricultural machinery: Assessing demographic factors and asset ownership of smallholder farmers in Bangladesh

2026Sharma, Akriti; Timsina, Pragya; Barooah, Prapti; Kishore, Avinash; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Brown, Brendan
Details

What determines a farmer’s adoption of agricultural machinery: Assessing demographic factors and asset ownership of smallholder farmers in Bangladesh

Agricultural mechanization provides a pathway to support farmers by reducing labor dependency, increasing efficiency, and improving the timeliness of agricultural operations. This enables smallholder farming communities to apply multiple cropping patterns between seasons, thereby improving their overall livelihoods (Amponsah et al. 2025; Gathala et al. 2022 Paudel et al. 2019; Chaudhary et al. 2023). In South Asian countries, especially Bangladesh, mechanization has historically been lower than in other regional nations. However, over the past 2 decades, there has been a notable increase in mechanization, as demonstrated by the substantial growth in the use of mechanical power for farming activities (Bakhtiar et al. 2025; Brown et al. 2025; Hossen et al. 2020). Understanding this trend and its implications is essential due to the complexities of mechanization adoption in Bangladesh. As the country’s population grows, expanding agricultural mechanization will be crucial to efficiently meet rising food demand.

Year published

2026

Authors

Sharma, Akriti; Timsina, Pragya; Barooah, Prapti; Kishore, Avinash; Krupnik, Timothy J.; Brown, Brendan

Citation

Sharma, Akriti; Timsina, Pragya; Barooah, Prapti; Kishore, Avinash; Krupnik, Timothy J.; and Brown, Brendan. 2026. Mechanizing agriculture in Bangladesh: Trends, challenges, and policy priorities. In Transforming Smallholder Agriculture Through Mechanization in Asia: Volume 1: Pathways and Policies, eds. Ma, Wanglin; Rahut, Dil B.; and Sonobe, Tetsushi. Chapter 1, p. 43-97. https://doi.org/10.56506/QOOJ5699

Country/Region

Bangladesh

Keywords

Asia; Southern Asia; Farm Equipment; Technology Adoption; Smallholders; Ownership; Agricultural Assets

Language

English

Access/Licence

Open Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.56506/qooj5699 Source record

Project

Transforming Agrifood Systems in South Asia

Record type

Book Chapter

Resource thumbnail

Journal Article

Time is money: Spatially explicit system analysis for rice-wheat cropping systems of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains, India

2026Mkondiwa, Maxwell; Kishore, Avinash; Sherpa, Sonam R.; Urfels, Anton; Pinjarla, Bhavani; Kumar, Virender; Panneerselvam, Peramaiyan; McDonald, Andrew
Details

Time is money: Spatially explicit system analysis for rice-wheat cropping systems of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains, India

CONTEXT: Late sowing of wheat is a major reason for poor yields in eastern India (Bihar and Eastern Uttar Pradesh) due to a shorter growing period, and risk of terminal heat stress. Despite big losses and widespread awareness, late sowing of wheat is widely prevalent in the region. Why? Most wheat is sown after harvesting monsoon rice from the same plot. Later rice harvests interfere with timely wheat sowing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to analyse the interdependence between the rice and wheat to optimize crop establishment dates at the cropping systems level for increasing yields, revenues and mitigating risks. METHODS: We collected production practices data from 5021 plots sequentially cultivated with rice and wheat in the State of Bihar and the eastern districts of Uttar Pradesh. We use this unique data to implement a multivariate Bayesian geo-additive model and risk-return optimization framework to determine rice and wheat sowing dates that give the highest risk-adjusted economic gains to farmers. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Early transplanting of rice and early sowing of wheat have spatially differentiated yield, revenue, and risk (minimal variance) benefits. We find that early transplanting of rice (between June 20 and July 20) and wheat (between November 1 and November 15) leads to a revenue gain of 5000–10,000 Rs ha−1 (∼62.5–125 US$ ha−1) at minimal risk and no revenue trade-offs (non-negative correlation). Conversely, late transplanting of rice has negative effects on correlation of rice and wheat yields therefore leading to a yield and revenue tradeoff. Evidence of spatially differentiated dependence between rice and wheat yield systems implies that analysing these crops separately may be suboptimal. SIGNIFICANCE: Spatial intelligence on cropping system inter-dependence can help farmers select the appropriate crop management practices (e.g., variety duration, irrigation, fertilizer application) and adjust their sowing dates based on local conditions and constraints, thereby optimizing yields and incomes in the rice-wheat system. It can also help policy makers in implementing spatially differentiated entry points for increasing yields and farm incomes at minimum risks.

Year published

2026

Authors

Mkondiwa, Maxwell; Kishore, Avinash; Sherpa, Sonam R.; Urfels, Anton; Pinjarla, Bhavani; Kumar, Virender; Panneerselvam, Peramaiyan; McDonald, Andrew

Citation

Mkondiwa, M., Kishore, A., Sherpa, S., Urfels, A., Pinjarla, B., Kumar, V., Peramaiyan, P., & McDonald, A. (2026). Time is money: Spatially explicit system analysis for rice-wheat cropping systems of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains, India. Agricultural Systems, 233, 104648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104648

Country/Region

India

Keywords

Southern Asia; Cropping Systems; Monsoons; Multivariate Analysis; Systems Analysis; Sowing Date; Rice; Wheat

Language

English

Access/Licence

Limited Access

Links

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2026.104648 Source record

Record type

Journal Article

Blogs

Indian diets fall short of EAT-Lancet reference recommendations for human and planetary health
Research Post
 | 
July 21, 2020

Indian diets fall short of EAT-Lancet reference recommendations for human and planetary health

By Manika Sharma, Avinash Kishore, Devesh Roy, Kuhu Joshi, and Khiem Nguyen

Research provides guideposts for tracking India's double burden of malnutrition.

Agriculture in India's budget: Paying farmers keeps them poor
Issue Post
 | 
March 02, 2020

Agriculture in India’s budget: Paying farmers keeps them poor

By Avinash Kishore

Potential problems with the PM-Kisan direct benefit transfer program.

Why farmers in India adopt certain technologies but ignore others
Issue Post
 | 
July 06, 2018

Why farmers in India adopt certain technologies but ignore others

By Avinash Kishore

Poor science communication and distortionary subsidies slow diffusion of better seeds and farming methods. 

View all Blogs

Events

Fertilizer, soil health, and economic shocks: Policy lessons learned from recent events
IFPRI Policy Seminar

 | 

June 11, 2025, 9:30 – 11:00 am

Fertilizer, soil health, and economic shocks: Policy lessons learned from recent events

Join us for a discussion of key findings from a recent special issue of Food Policy exploring the complex interactions between fertilizer use, soil health management, and economic shocks in various agricultural systems. Governments around the world have long implemented policies to enhance agricultural productivity through inorganic fertilizer application and soil management, yet recent global […]

South Asia Launch | Nepal | 2024 Global Food Policy Report: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition
Series/Special Event

 | 

August 8 to 9, 2024

South Asia Launch | Nepal | 2024 Global Food Policy Report: Food Systems for Healthy Diets and Nutrition

Despite significant progress in addressing hunger and undernutrition in the early 2000s, malnutrition, in all its forms, remains a major challenge in all regions of the world. Unhealthy diets remain the primary drivers of many forms of malnutrition, including undernutrition, overweight and obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and diet- related noncommunicable diseases. Today, the number of people […]

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 […]

View all Events

News

April 12, 2026 | In the News

Could the Iran war pose lasting risks to global food security? (Al Jazeera)

Avinash Kishore, IFPRI senior research fellow in New Delhi, was interviewed for the Al Jazeera’s “Inside Story” program on the Iran war risks to global food security.

March 20, 2026 | In the News

How the Iran war threatens global food supply (NPR)

In an interview with NPR, IFPRI’s Avinash Kishore highlighted rising concerns among Indian farmers as fertilizer prices surge and supplies tighten due to the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

December 29, 2025 | In the News

India’s domination of global rice trade stokes looming water crisis (Reuters) 

Comments from IFPRI’s Avinash Kishore on how India’s new role as the world’s largest exporter of rice impacts scarce groundwater supplies. 

View all News