Indian Food Systems for Improved Nutrition (INFUSION)
The Indian Food Systems for Improved Nutrition (INFUSION) project commenced in December 2022 and will run until November 2027. Studies are focused on the Indian states of Bihar and Odisha, with the critical research aim being to understand how to support and adapt food markets to increase the availability and affordability of nutrient-dense foods in rural communities (e.g., fruits and vegetables and animal-source foods). The project is jointly funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Although India has made significant strides in terms of combating hunger over the past few decades, a number of recent studies have highlighted how the average consumption of ‘nutrient-dense foods’ (NDFs), such as fruits, vegetables and animal-source proteins, remains less than half of the World Health Organisation’s recommended consumption levels (Minocha et al. 2018, Choudhury et al. 2020). Consumption rates of NDFs in the northern state of Bihar are particularly poor, with the state also recording amongst the highest rates of childhood malnutrition, wasting and stunting in India (NITI Aayog, 2023).
Whilst the sources of food in rural Bihar are diverse, including a range of wild and cultivated food environments, rural markets known locally as haats or pethias act as the main source of nutrient-dense foods. Critically, whilst the agricultural sector in Bihar employs approximately 80% of the working age population, smallholder farmers are generally unable to produce and store the required quantities and diversities of food to support their year-round consumption requirements. As such, markets are the vital and often vibrant hub connecting sellers (e.g., farmers, traders and retailers) to a range of buyers, including other smallholder producers and landless populations.
In spite of the importance of rural haats, very little is formally known about their functioning, operation and governance, and the exact ways in which these markets contribute to the nutrition of local communities and populations. Ultimately, rural haats in states such as Bihar and Odisha are often highly informal, operating outside the purview and regulation of the government. Furthermore, the majority of rural haats in Bihar and Odisha lack basic infrastructures which would aid the quality, safety and freshness of the food being sold, including raised platforms above ground level, overhead coverings to provide protection from the weather, and various other services including running water, electricity and sanitation facilities.

INFUSION research builds upon two previous studies led by INFUSION co-PIs, Prof Bhavani Shankar and Prof Suneetha Kadiyala, namely the Market Intervention for Nutritional Improvement project (MINI) and the Upscaling Participatory Action and Videos for Agriculture and Nutrition (UPAVAN) project in Odisha. Given the above context, INFUSION research activities focus on the following key objectives:
- Understanding the locations, characteristics and typologies of rural haats in rural Bihar, especially with regards to the types of NDFs sold, the hard and soft infrastructures present, and connectivity to transportation infrastructures.
- Understanding how the prices of certain locally important NDFs (e.g., tomato, aubergine, cauliflower, eggs and chicken, amongst others) transmit across space and time.
- Establishing the importance and contribution of rural haats to local diets, particularly amongst relatively poor, marginalised and geographically remote communities.
- Co-developing and testing new market-based interventions alongside local stakeholders and decision-makers – with the ultimate view to increase the availability and affordability of NDFs in rural markets, enhance access to important provisioning infrastructures, and improve the market experience and participation of local women.
- Working alongside the state governments of Bihar and Odisha to help research and answer critical food systems and nutrition security related questions (‘responsive mode research’).
To learn more about the specific workstreams of INFUSION, please visit our Research page here.