TCI Receives $500,000 Grant from Walmart Foundation to Enhance Its FPO Database

The centerpiece of this effort is the expansion of TCI's database for Indian FPOs within its Center of Excellence in New Delhi, a web-based platform that allows FPOs, researchers, and other stakeholders to access comprehensive information on thousands of FPOs set to launch in India in 2021. "Strengthening FPO models is critical to enabling India's small farmers to capitalize on the opportunity presented by rising demand for diverse agricultural products," said TCI director Prabhu Pingali.

"The enhancements we are making to the Database for Indian FPOs will ensure that it remains an invaluable resource for all stakeholders interested in assisting FPOs," he added. TCI also plans to develop an Interface that will allow FPOs to update their own select indicators. The interface can potentially connect FPOs with product buyers and service providers. "By inviting farmer organizations to interact with service providers and buyers on the platform, we hope to empower smallholders further to commercialize their efforts and improve their livelihoods," Pingali explained.

The Database for Indian FPOs contains comprehensive information on over 4,400 FPOs. A beta version of the new platform containing information on over 26,000 producer organizations and FPOs will be released soon. The interactive dashboard provides stakeholders access to a wealth of helpful information, such as crops produced, founding years, sponsoring agencies, and basic financials. We hope this information will help FPOs gain access to finance and markets by increasing their discovery.  Finally, the data will enable Hub researchers to develop models to increase smallholder farmer income and welfare.

Almost 90% of farms worldwide are less than 2 hectares in size. The average farm in India is only 1.15 hectares. These small farms face challenges in gaining access to markets, credit, and agricultural inputs such as seeds. Farmers join in FPOs to reduce costs and improve market access, resulting in higher agricultural productivity, food security, and livelihood development. "With the TCI's new grant funding, we are significantly advancing research into Farmer Producer Organizations, which serve as critical infrastructure for promoting market access and strengthening business and agricultural practices."

 It is consistent with our efforts in India to support programmes that benefit and improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers in the country." said Julie Gehrki, Walmart Foundation's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. TCI's "FPO-Led Small Farm Market Access Models" project seeks to understand better the challenges that FPO models face in India and worldwide.

TCI launched the Fpo Hub of its Center of Excellence in 2021. The Hub provides information, technical assistance, and guidance for advancing FPOs in India to researchers, philanthropic actors, government and private entities that promote FPOs.

The Walmart Foundation awarded the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) a $1 million grant in 2019 to assess the challenges that small-farm aggregation models face in India and Mexico. The grant is part of the Walmart Foundation's USD$25 million commitment to India to assist farmers in increasing their income.