ADMI hosts Gulati for panel discussion, lecture, and book launch

A renowned expert on Indian policy visited the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this fall to join discussions on how to best repurpose policies for a sustainable and nutritious future in the world’s most populous country and celebrate a new book based on ADMI research.

Ashok Gulati, the Distinguished Professor at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), former Director at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and former member of the Economic Advisory Council of Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is renowned for his deep involvement in policy analysis and advice in India. 

Gulati is also a longtime collaborator with faculty at Illinois, most recently publishing a book Reducing Postharvest Losses in India in conjunction with ADMI. Additional authors include Raya Das, who accompanied Gulati on the recent visit to the U. of I., and Alex Winter-Nelson, who retired as director of ADMI earlier this year. 

“We are proud to see this important work come out in press that builds on the previous work of ADMI,” noted Paul McNamara, director of ADMI and professor in agricultural and consumer economics. 

While on campus, Gulati and Das participated in meetings with students and faculty and two public events that allowed for robust discussion and questions. 

Two Illinois faculty, Madhu Khanna and Atul Jain, joined Gulati and Das in an enlightening panel discussion hosted by ADMI “India Sustainability Policy Forum: Agriculture, Environment, and Climate in Today’s India.” 

Gulati also presented the annual ACES International Distinguished Lecture “Re-purposing Indian Agri-Food Policies for a Sustainable and Nutritious Food System” that was attended by students from various colleges and departments who had many questions for the speaker.

The study, “Reducing Post-Harvest Losses in India: Farmer-Level Interventions and Grain Management Strategies” by Ashok Gulati, Raya Das, and Alex Winter-Nelson is available on the ADMI website.