Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Data Visualizations/Reporter

Pramod Acharya is an investigative journalist, data reporter, and multimedia content producer. As a Research Assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he produced data-driven and investigative news reports for Journalism Department newsroom CU-CitizenAccess. He previously worked as the Assistant Editor at the Center for Investigative Journalism Nepal, and was a Dart fellow at Columbia University and Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN).

He started his journalism career as a cub reporter in a community radio station in Nepal in 2009 and has spent a decade working on electronic, print, and online media.

Pramod holds an MS in Journalism from the University of Illinois and an MA in English from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.

GRAPHIC: Facing challenges, honeybees' production has dropped in the U.S.

Honeybee colonies' average yearly production has dropped 30 percent since 1995.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 22 Oct 2020

GRAPHIC: Facing challenges, honeybees' production has dropped in the U.S.

GRAPHIC: The U.S. still uses many pesticides banned in other countries

About 150 agricultural pesticides that the World Health Organization considers “hazardous” at some level to human health were used in the United States in 2017, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 14 Oct 2020

GRAPHIC: The U.S. still uses many pesticides banned in other countries

GRAPHIC: What share of retail sales returns to farmers? Depends on the product.

More money spent on processing means less money for farmers.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 7 Oct 2020

GRAPHIC: What share of retail sales returns to farmers? Depends on the product.

GRAPHIC: Americans throw away more food today than ever before

Between 1960 and 2017, the quantity of wasted food increased more than 230 percent, according to EPA data.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 30 Sep 2020

GRAPHIC: Americans throw away more food today than ever before

GRAPHIC: There are now half as many dairy farms today than in 2003

There are less than half of the licensed dairy farms in the United States than nearly two decades ago, according to an analysis of USDA data.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 23 Sep 2020

GRAPHIC: There are now half as many dairy farms today than in 2003

GRAPHIC: Design of South Dakota meatpacking plant contributed to high number of COVID-19 cases, CDC says

In an August report, the CDC noted a difference between salaries employees in an office setting and the hourly workers on the production line.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 16 Sep 2020

GRAPHIC: Design of South Dakota meatpacking plant contributed to high number of COVID-19 cases, CDC says

Graphic: COVID-19 has plunged more people of color into food insecurity

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, more Americans — and particularly Americans of color — have experienced limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 1 Sep 2020

Graphic: COVID-19 has plunged more people of color into food insecurity

Graphic: Among agribusinesses, dairies received the most loans from federal Paycheck Protection Program

About 1 percent of all PPP loans went to agribusinesses.

By Samuel Trilling, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 26 Aug 2020

Graphic: Among agribusinesses, dairies received the most loans from federal Paycheck Protection Program

Graphic: Americans drinking far less milk than in the past

Americans drink much less fluid milk now than decades ago - in about 50 years we've reduced our consumption by 100 pounds per year on average.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 13 Aug 2020

Graphic: Americans drinking far less milk than in the past

Graphic: Agricultural workers still denied millions in wages each year

Tens of thousands of agricultural workers have been denied wages by their employers — a violation of labor laws — over the past two decades, according to Department of Labor data.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 7 Aug 2020

Graphic: Agricultural workers still denied millions in wages each year

Thousands of households have received those mysterious packages of seeds. All 50 states warn against planting them.

The unsolicited packages of seed appear to be coming from China, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). USDA on Tuesday asked the recipients to hold the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until authorities contact them.

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 30 Jul 2020

Thousands of households have received those mysterious packages of seeds. All 50 states warn against planting them.

Covid-19 pandemic drives food prices up

More Americans have stayed home to cook during the COVID-19 pandemic, but they've paid a higher price for their home meals. While the cost of restaurant foods

By Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

/ 24 Jul 2020

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Pramod Acharya, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

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