A study supported by the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) reveals that selling directly to supermarkets yields nutritional dividends for India’s smallholder farmers. Published in the journal Agricultural Economics, the study demonstrates that farm households who sell vegetables directly to supermarkets consume significantly higher amounts of vitamin A and zinc, in addition to eating more diverse diets than those who sell to traditional markets.
“This study shows that integrating smallholders into the direct procurement systems of modern value chains can mitigate the hidden hunger rampant in developing countries,” said Chandra S. Nuthalapati, lead author of the paper and a former visiting professor at TCI. By increasing incomes and incentivizing increased vegetable production, selling to supermarkets helps farmers and their families eat more nutritious diets.”
To discern the impact of direct supermarket sales on farm households’ nutrition, researchers surveyed more than 500 vegetable-growing households in India’s Delhi National Capital region, quizzing the heads of household and their spouses on their food consumption habits and other variables, such as education and spending levels.
After analyzing the survey results, the researchers discovered that households that sell directly to supermarkets consume 44% more vitamin A and 65% more zinc than those that sell through traditional markets. They also found that such households get more protein, iron and zinc from non-cereal sources, meaning they eat more diverse diets.
The income of the farmers selling to supermarkets was nearly 30% higher, suggesting that income gains could play a key role in their households’ improved nutrition consumption. Nuthalapati’s previous research also showed an income gain associated with supermarket sales.
Source : cornell.edu