The Chair was established at the Foundation in 2002 by Dr. Susan Beresford, President of the Ford Foundation on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Ford Foundation's presence in India.

The focus of the Chair is primarily on research. Gender Concerns in Food Security, impact of rural distress on women have been the areas of study. Workshops, advocacy and awareness generation through lectures and publications are among the activities undertaken for dissemination [Gender Concerns in Food Security]