In this paper, we quantify the divergence in the cost of current diets as compared to EAT Lancet recommendations at the subnational-level in India. We use primary data on food prices and household food purchases, and secondary data on food expenditures for a period of 12 months in 2018–19. The cost of the EAT Lancet dietary recommendations for rural India ranges between $3.00- $5.00 per person per day. In contrast, actual dietary intake at present is valued at around $1.00 per person per day. In order to get to the EAT Lancet recommendations individuals will have to spend nearly $1.00 per person per day more on each of meat fish poultry, dairy foods and fruits. The deficit in current diets relative to recommendations is marked by seasonal variations driven by volatility in the underlying food prices. This paper extends the evidence base for the affordability of the EAT Lancet diet to a subnational-level in India, using the most recent data on prices and expenditures, over time. We highlight the need for tracking rural markets at the subnational level, over time for their nutritional quality and ability to provide affordable, nutritious diets to the poor. Crop diversification, investments in rural infrastructure and well-functioning markets can move rural India towards more nutrition sensitive food environments.

In this study, we systematically review the literature on adoption factors and impacts of labor-saving technologies (LSTs) by smallholder and women farmers in developing countries. 85 articles are included in the review after meeting strict selection criteria through a search across several electronic platforms. We highlight several research gaps that need future research focus. Future research should include gendered differences in factors such as – comparing extension models, social networks, and farmers' underlying technological perceptions. We show the need for designing and providing access to gender-friendly LSTs suited to the context. While there are clear impacts of LST adoption on labor and productivity, few studies examine negative consequences such as labor-displacement. Further examination of these trade-offs and differential impacts on welfare dimensions across gender is needed. Our results indicate implications for future research and policy regarding incorporating gender differences in designing, promotion, and adoption of LSTs to reduce womnen's work burdens and to enhance welfare outcomes.

Women in agriculture are involved in agricultural activities and are solely responsible for household-level unpaid work. They face severe time trade-offs between agricultural and household activities across crop seasons. Recent literature suggests that these time trade-offs may negatively impact their nutrition. However, there is no quantitative evidence exploring this relationship within an agricultural context. This paper addresses this research gap by analyzing the relationship between women’s time trade-offs and their nutritional outcomes. Using a unique ten-month primary panel data of 960 women from India, our findings show that women are severely time-constrained, as they contribute significantly to agricultural as well as domestic work. Our results show that during peak seasons relative to lean seasons, women’s time trade-offs (rising opportunity cost of time) are negatively associated with the intake of calories, proteins, iron,zinc and Vitamin A. We show that this negative relationship is manifested severely among women who are landless and cultivate paddy alone (food crop) or paddy and cotton (mixed crop). This study highlights the gendered role of agricultural activities in rural households and the need to recognize time as a scarce resource when implementing policies and programs involving women in agriculture. We contribute to the literature of agriculture-nutrition linkages by examining the the time use pathway in detail. Besides providing novel metrics, we discuss several policy implications to reduce women’s time constraints and enhance their nutrition.

On 21 May 2020, one of the most cited economists of all time and a key contributor to organisational studies, Oliver E Williamson passed away. His intellectual apparatus of transaction cost economics is a powerful tool to explain a range of real-life phenomena across a variety of disciplines with impeccable practical implications.