Well-structured public policies can incentivize smallholder farmers, rural entrepreneurs and consumers toward choices that improve welfare, enhance yield and are environmentally sustainable.

CSISA, through the International Food Policy Research Institute, developed a critical mass of research needed to promote an actionable and evidence-based agenda for improving public policies to address South Asia’s cereal systems.

CSISA’s policy work has strengthened the quality of the debate around seed systems development in the region through analysis of rules and regulations governing the seed market and the roles for public and private investment. Similarly, it has tackled the question of input subsidies and their impact on sustainable intensification. For example, it looked at the economic and environmental trade-offs associated with poorly targeted subsidies for laser land leveling in eastern Uttar Pradesh and provided the state government with alternative strategies for improving the efficiency of these subsidies. CSISA has also worked to improve extension models to ensure that they are site-specific, tailored to different groups, such as women farmers and include opportunities to reach smallholders at a large scale.