Study conducted in Barddhamān District, West Bengal, 1984-1985.

This open access book provides a clear holistic conceptual framework of CISS-F (competitiveness, inclusiveness, sustainability, scalability and access to finance) to analyse the efficiency of value chains of high value agricultural commodities in India. It is based on the understanding that agriculture is an integrated system that connects farming with logistics, processing and marketing. Farmer’s welfare being central to any agricultural policy makes it very pertinent to study how a value chain works and can be strengthened further to realize this policy goal. This book adds value to the existing research by studying the value chains end-to-end across a wide spectrum of agricultural commodities with the holistic lens of CISS-F. It is not enough that a value chain is competitive but not inclusive or it is competitive and inclusive but not sustainable. The issue of scalability is very critical to achieve macro gains in terms of greater farmer outreach and sectoral growth. The research undertaken here brings out some very useful insights for policymaking in terms of what needs to be done better to steer the agricultural value chains towards being more competitive, inclusive, sustainable and scalable. The value chain specific research findings help draw very nuanced policy recommendations as well as present a big picture of the future direction of policy making in agriculture.

The production, trade and consumption of pulses have seen substantial growth over the last fifteen years. This report examines the trends and patterns of this growth, and the factors that explain these for different kinds of pulses. The report presents an analysis of trends of consumption of pulses in different regions of the world and discusses the role that pulses can play in human nutrition. The report presents an analysis of the dynamics of growth of major pulses in different pulse-producing countries of the world. It describes the increasingly important role of trade in the global economy of pulses and presents an analysis of changing patterns of trade. The report argues that there is a pressing need to close the large gap between potential and actual yields, particularly on smallholder farms in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, by increased adoption of improved varieties and modern agronomic practices in all developing countries. This in turn requires a major thrust in agricultural research and extension, improving credit availability, and public investment directed at pulse production. The report discusses future prospects and policy imperatives for sustaining the growth of pulse production.

Pulses are nutritionally diverse crops that can be successfully utilized as a food ingredient or a base for new product development. They provide a natural food grade ingredient that is rich in lysine, dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein and B-vitamins suggesting that pulses can provide a variety of health benefits such as reducing heart disease and diabetes. Interest in the use of pulses and their ingredients in food formulations is growing and several factors are contributing to this drive. Pulse Foods: Processing, Quality and Nutraceutical Applications is the first book to provide up-to-date information on novel and emerging technologies for the processing of whole pulses, techniques for fractionating pulses into ingredients, their functional and nutritional properties, as well as their potential applications, so that the food industry can use this knowledge to incorporate pulses into new food products. - First reference bringing together essential information on the processing technology of pulses - Addresses processing challenges relevant to legume and pulse grain processors - Delivers insights into the current state-of-art and emerging processing technologies - In depth coverage of developments in nutraceutical applications of pulse protein and carbohydrate based foods

Proceedings of the Third International Food Legumes Research Conference

On September 18, 2020, USAID requested IFPRI to conduct 15 stakeholder consultations on three thematic areas across five districts in the Feed the Future Zone of Influence (ZOI) and Zone of Resilience (ZOR): Barishal, Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka, Jashore, and Khulna. The thematic areas are: (1) Increased Access to Finance, (2) Commercialization of Oilseeds and Pulses, and (3) Commercialization of Agricultural Research and Biotechnology. IFPRI agreed to conduct these stakeholder consultations and, on October 21, 2020, USAID approved IFPRI’s Commercialization of Oilseeds and Pulses concept note.