Farmers, Subalterns, and Activists: Social Politics of Sustainable Agriculture in India

Description

In theory, chemical-free sustainable agriculture not only has ecological benefits, but also social and economic benefits for rural communities. By removing farmers' expenses on chemical inputs, it provides them with greater autonomy and challenges the status quo, where corporations dominate food systems. In practice, however, organisations promoting sustainable agriculture often maintain connections with powerful institutions and individuals, who have vested interests in maintaining the status quo. This book explores this tension within the sustainable farming movement through reference to three detailed case studies of organisations operating in rural India. Cover Farmers, Subalterns, and Activists Title Copyright Dedication Contents List of Images Acknowledgements 1. Introduction The Promise of Sustainable Agriculture India’s Sustainable Farming Movement: A Brief Overview A Gramscian Approach: Sustainable Agriculture in the Context of Hegemony Case Studies and Methodological Framework Synopsis 2. India’s Agrarian Crisis: A Gramscian View Civil Society, Hegemony, and Crises of Authority Hegemony in Rural India Origins of the Green Revolution The Green Revolution in India The aftereffects and decline of the Green Revolution Liberalisation and the Agrarian Crisis Agrarian crisis as ‘crisis of authority’ Conclusion 3. Embedded in Power: Potentials and Constraints of Sustainable Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture as a Response to Crisis and Challenge to Hegemony Resources, Political Opportunities, and the Capacity to Mobilise Mobilising in a Challenging Environment Challenges of the rural setting The uneven terrain of Indian civil society The prominence of NGOs Sustainable Agriculture Initiatives within Webs of Power Relations Donor organisations The state Middle-class activist networks Rural elites The rural subaltern Conclusion 4. The Kheti Virasat Mission: People’s Movement or Agrarian Populism? Punjab History: From Green Revolution to Crisis KVM Origins: Forging an Identity as a ‘People’s Movement’ How does a Movement Differ? KVM’s Structure and Mode of Engagement The Chiranjivi Gram Abhiyan ‘Our Agricultural Heritage’: Natural Farming and Agrarian Populism A Movement No More? KVM in Transition The challenge of natural farming in Punjab Towards a ‘professional’ approach Conclusion 5. The Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ Movement: The Limits of Participatory Approaches Regional Context Revathi: A Teacher’s Journey to Ecological Farming The 2004 South Asian Tsunami: Consolidating the Facilitative Strategy Facilitating Community-Based Organisations and Regional Federations The Demonstration Farm Long-term Impact in the Cauvery Delta Conclusion 6. The Beej Bachao Andolan: How ‘Grassroots’ is the Grassroots? Regional Context History of Struggle in Garhwal The Chipko Origins of BBA From Tree Hugging to Seed Saving The Philosophy of BBA Impact: Local, National, and International Sustaining a Tradition of Activism Conclusion 7. Conclusion Glimpses of Food Sovereignty Within the Fabric of Hegemony Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Rural Development Locating the Counter-Hegemonic in Rural India Bibliography Index