This study presents how local governance shapes community responses to water scarcity in three high-altitude villages of Leh District, India. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, we surveyed 122 households and interviewed 12 village heads, water managers, farmers and non-governmental organisation (NGO) representatives. All three villages faced severe water shortages affecting 94%–96% of households annually, yet outcomes differed dramatically. In Nang, a centralised hereditary authority manages water behind closed doors, leading to high conflict (91.2%) with only fragmented individual conservation (80.9%). In Stakmo, kinship-based governance produced moderate conflict (42.1%) and partial conservation (68.4%). In Umla, participatory rule-making with NGO support achieved low conflict (12.5%) and universal conservation (100%). Our findings show that transparent and participatory governance, not water availability, determines whether scarcity leads to conflict or cooperation. Based on this, we offer three policy recommendations: reform centralised governance to establish fair water allocation and dispute resolution; scale community-led conservation that builds social trust; and invest in water storage and livelihood diversification to strengthen adaptive capacity.
India is an agrarian state where a large number of people depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The majority of Indian farmers cultivate paddy and suffer from a significant amount of loss every year due to the volatility in the prices of paddy. This study has attempted to analyse the perception of the farmers regarding the factors affecting the stability of paddy prices in West Bengal. For this analysis, primary data were collected from 827 farmers of Coochbehar district using a simple random sampling method. Furthermore, secondary data were gathered from relevant government reports and research papers. Collected data were analysed using various statistical tools such as the Cuddy–Della Valle Index and structural equation model. The findings indicate that production practices and costs have a positive impact on stabilising the paddy price. However, marketing channels and government policies have a negative effect on the same. Based on the findings, this study recommends crop diversification, technology adoption and enhancement of government procurement, which can play a major role in the stabilisation of paddy price.
This study examines how Village Defence Party, a community-based institution around Kaziranga Tiger Reserve, shapes conservation outcomes through institutional coherence and leadership practice. Drawing on Institutional Collective Action (ICA) theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), we combine participatory rural appraisal techniques with inferential tests to assess coordination, motivations and risk attitudes. We document a rule-bound organisational structure and routine patrol practices that evidence effective inter-institutional coordination. TPB constructs, such as subjective norms and perceived behavioural control, significantly predict flood patrol participation, while qualitative narratives highlight cultural reverence and moral obligation as motivational content. Leaders function as boundary spanners under ICA dilemmas, leveraging NGO/state support, social capital and cultural norms to set expectations, and sustain vigilance beyond mandates regarded as hallmarks of collaborative governance.
The COVID-19 lockdown has disrupted the lives of millions of people worldwide. The present article studies handloom weavers’ challenges during the COVID-19-led lockdown period in Western Odisha. The study is based on primary data using 390 sample weaver households from a field survey conducted in the Bargarh and Subarnapur districts in Western Odisha. The article attempts to understand the challenges of the weavers through the lens of market closure, income loss based on the nature of employment, caste and gender. Their distress is reflected in terms of food insecurity and loss of children’s education. The study recommends that the government provide them with a special financial package through direct cash transfer to lessen the burden of distress.
Research on financial inclusion (FI) in Vietnam’s rural context is quite scarce, and some questions are still unanswered. In this study, we tried to look at how FI increased welfare, with particular attention to household expenditures. We used a sample of 1,180 Vietnamese rural households and applied propensity score matching and weighted-least-squares regression to test the FI–expenditure relationship. We noticed that FI seemed to positively affect total expenditures. FI also determined types of expenditures, like transport and communication, social events, food and non-food products. However, we did not find any clear link between FI and spending on healthcare, education or items such as alcohol and tobacco. The positive relationship between FI and expenditures suggests that authorities may view promoting families’ access to financial tools as a potentially effective way to improve household welfare. The fact that FI raised food spending but did not impact spending on harmful goods like alcohol and tobacco may suggest a positive long-term impact on people’s health.
The study examines how women farmer-producer companies support the social and economic circumstances of women farmers in rural Maharashtra. Women in the rural areas work together and make collective decisions with the help of farmer-producer companies. For several decades, women’s contributions to the workforce have often gone unrecognised, leaving them with fewer resources and limited decision-making power in society. Through collective action in farmer-producer companies, rural women are empowered to access markets, obtain resources and participate in decision-making in their daily lives. The study employs a descriptive research design that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The data were gathered from 210 women farmers across six farmer-producer companies. The results demonstrate that farmer-producer companies support women in gaining better market access, financial support, leadership skills, confidence and respect in society. However, there remain challenges related to low agricultural incomes and difficulty in managing household work and farm activities. The findings show that farmer-producer companies have benefited women to some extent and play a major role in empowering rural women.
The nexus of water and food is complex and interdependent. Water is essential for agriculture, yet many states are failing to meet its increasing demand despite the creation of irrigation projects. There is a need to shift the paradigm from construction to management. Water, especially irrigation, being a state subject, operation and maintenance come under the purview of the state. Thus, the state needs to ensure effective water governance for managing better services and the creation of policies, institutions and regulations. The National Water Policy introduced reforms for farmers’ participation in irrigation management. In the northeastern region, Assam was the first to implement the Irrigation Water Users Act. So far, 847 Water User Associations (WUAs) have been formed in Assam to facilitate equal water distribution, operation–maintenance, levy collection and conflict resolution. The study on WUA in a minor irrigation system revealed that there is a decreasing trend in the area irrigated and levy collection and that it is failing to produce the desired results in irrigation management, while the traditional Dong Bandh system practice in Assam demonstrates the capability of the local community to self-organise management of water resources. The irrigation system is decentralised, yet the increase in its performance is uncertain in Assam. This article aims to identify irrigation water governance ways to rectify its shortcomings by learning from the Dong Bandh governance system.
This study seeks to determine the factors influencing the effectiveness of informal farm machinery rental services and also to assess these factors across the different sample districts of Assam. The study uses a sequential exploratory mixed-method research design to achieve these objectives. First, qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 informal service providers to identify operational constraints. The insights from these interviews led to the development of the survey instrument for the quantitative phase. In the quantitative phase, 400 farm machinery rental service users were surveyed in the sample areas. To determine the factors, exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and then analysis of variance was used to assess the factors across the districts. The exploratory factor analyses revealed two key factors, that is, technical service efficiency and service delivery, which influence the effectiveness of the informal farm machinery rental services. Technical service efficiency showed a higher variance than service delivery. Therefore, the study suggested policies to strengthen the service delivery for promoting sustainable and equitable mechanisation in the study area.
This article situates Indian agriculture within the growing field of sustainability transitions, a literature that has largely neglected agriculture in the Global South. We argue that India’s Green Revolution model, characterised by high external inputs, water-intensive crops and technocratic extension, has reached ecological, economic and epistemic limits. Dominant policy responses organised around “productivity and populism” have prioritised short-term farm incomes but deepened long-term vulnerability through soil degradation, groundwater depletion and input dependency. Drawing on recent Indian scholarship and practitioner experience, we conceptualise agricultural transitions not as technological substitutions but as a socially negotiated processes shaped by power, knowledge and institutions. We argue for research that connects agroecology with sustainability-transitions thinking, highlighting the role of civil society, farmer organisations and public institutions in co-producing alternative pathways. We identify key challenges and opportunities for scaling agroecological transitions in India from the five papers in this special issue. We conclude by outlining a research agenda focused on landscape-level change, epistemic justice and metrics that move beyond productivity to include soil health, biodiversity, water and labour, thereby enabling more just and resilient smallholder food systems.
Women in the hilly regions often operate small ventures to support their livelihood, and the survival of these ventures profoundly depends on the skills possessed by the owners. Given the distinct set of challenges caused by geographical isolation and limited infrastructure, understanding the skills that support women’s entrepreneurial success is crucial for formulating effective training programmes. This research seeks to identify the skills held by women microentrepreneurs operating in North Bengal’s hilly regions. Based on the data collected from women-led microenterprises, exploratory factor analysis has been employed to identify the core skill areas critical for women microentrepreneurs in the hilly regions. The skill dimensions identified were further verified using confirmatory factor analysis. The findings revealed six key dimensions reflecting how these women adapt their strategies for the survival of their ventures in a competitive business environment. By giving empirical insights into the skills of women entrepreneurs at the microenterprise level, the study has practical implications for rural development policies, particularly in laying the groundwork for focused training programmes and support mechanisms that can enhance women’s economic participation in such backward regions.
This study examines the impact of access to formal credit on the technical efficiency of farms. The stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) is used to estimate technical efficiency by utilising primary survey data collected through a multi-stage random sampling technique. The results reveal that technical efficiency scores range from 0.56 to 0.97. There is a relatively high level of technical efficiency among borrower households (score 0.88) compared to non-borrower households (score 0.67), which implies that credit access enables farmers to use better technologies and optimise input use. The major inputs, such as labour, chemicals, machinery and farm size, are positively associated with farm technical efficiency, whereas land tenancy, seed price and fertilisers tend to decrease farm efficiency. The gamma coefficient (0.76) justifies the application of SFA, implying that inefficiency in the farm inputs is more likely than random shocks. In addition, the age of the household head, farming experience, education, occupation, membership, farm size, household assets and access to credit are the primary factors determining efficiency. These findings highlighted the requirement to have policy interventions in order to improve the socio-economic environment, institutional support, access to credit and managerial skills of farmers, which would increase productivity and achieve sustainable agricultural development.
Indonesian smallholder oil palm farmers are found to face major issues, such as poor leadership, a lack of trust and trouble getting useful information through informal networks. The question is whether the skills of farmers to get along with each other affect how many people use sustainable practices. The combination of survey and interview responses of 93 farmers was conducted in group interactions. For technical proficiency: β = 0.374, p < .001 (28% of variance), and for human skills: β = 0.518, p < .001 (27% of variance), planning and decision-making skills were found as strong predictors. Because of 47% influence over decisions and 43% are found involved in regular peer assistance, it seems that group function appeared weak. While 36% stop participating, this suggests that conflicts between people or the perception of favouritism may be a factor. Whether farmers actually can get along and work together effectively in institutional design appears to matter far less ( f ² = 0.018). Therefore, planning and social skills, as well as encouraging informal leadership networks, and recognising the fact that women and younger farmers in decision-making should be the priority for agricultural extension.
While previous research focused on diverse aspects of agricultural marketing in India, limited studies have quantified farmers’ non-satisfaction across market channels and regions in the country. This study aims to bridge that gap by using nationally representative survey data for 2018–19. Descriptive statistics and multivariate procedures are used for the purpose. Results show that farmers in India mostly sell their disposable surpluses in local markets or to private buyers, while institutional buyers have the smallest share. Farmers expressed non-satisfaction with the sale outcomes in about 38% of the sales cases; the dominant reason being low produce prices. Logistic regression shows that, compared to the institutional channels, sales to private buyers or those completed in local markets are associated with higher odds of non-satisfaction among the farmers. The findings suggest measures to increase farmers’ market power and to facilitate remunerative produce prices for an economically viable agriculture-based livelihoods in the country.
Yogyakarta is recognised as the province with the highest digital literacy index in Indonesia. However, paradoxically, farmers in the region have not widely adopted digital technology. This situation indicates that there are barriers hindering the digitalisation process, particularly at the farmer level. Based on this context, this study aims to evaluate the intensity and pattern of digital technology adoption among farmers, identify the main barriers they face and analyse the degree to which these barriers influence their decisions to adopt digital technologies in agricultural activities. A total of 104 shallot farmers from rural coastal areas were randomly selected and interviewed. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that only 53.85% of farmers have adopted digital technologies, with basic devices such as smartphones and mobile phones being the most commonly used. The primary barriers identified include limited knowledge and experience, insufficient access to information, inadequate digital infrastructure and sociocultural constraints. Therefore, efforts to accelerate digital technology adoption should be closely aligned with local cultural practices, particularly in communities where traditional customs remain highly influential in daily agricultural activities.
This mixed-method study investigated gender inequities in household access to educational technology among 378 rural Tamil Nadu households (443 children) from 12 districts, applying the capability approach, social reproduction theory and intersectionality lenses. Binary logistic regression, structural equation modelling and in-depth interviews with 378 parents and 68 children indicated significant gaps: 68.4% of males and only 34.9% of females had access, with female gender being associated with 79% lower odds (OR = 0.21) following controls. Capability deprivation mediated 43% of gender’s influence, and females faced higher constraint in all domains: over time, in autonomy, in skills and in cultural support. Maternal schooling was revealed to be the strongest protective factor. Four mechanisms that perpetuated inequities from qualitative analysis included gendered perceptions of risks, time competition due to domestic chores, strategic allocation of resources based on perceived returns and gendered technology identity process. Results suggest gender inequality endures despite expanded device availability and that it operates through capability constraint rather than mere material access mechanisms. Effective programme interventions need to employ multilevel interventions: infrastructure investments, school-centred compensatory programmes, maternal schooling interventions and community-level attitude interventions targeting household governance mechanisms that translate structural inequalities into differential digital outcomes.
Rural agrarian communities in India, despite being central to national food production, continue to face significant food insecurity. This paradox arises due to factors such as poor agricultural infrastructure, fluctuating yields, post-harvest losses, socio-economic inequalities and inconsistent coverage of state food safety nets. Although India operates one of the world’s largest public food distribution systems, 74% of the population is still unable to afford a healthy diet. This study investigates the role of Community Anaj Banks (CABs) in enhancing food security among small and marginal farmers in rural Uttar Pradesh. It focuses on two key objectives: understanding how CABs operate as community-governed institutions and examining their contribution to food security. Data were collected through qualitative assessment surveys and semi-structured interviews in eight villages across Kanpur Nagar and Kanpur Dehat districts. Thematic content analysis was conducted, guided by the HLPE’s six-dimensional food security framework and indicators of community governance. Findings suggest that CABs strengthen food security by improving local access to food, fostering community trust and promoting participatory governance. However, challenges such as self-interest and policy conflicts remain. The study offers institutional and policy recommendations for scaling and sustaining decentralised, community-led food security models.
This research study employed the Unified Model of Electronic Government Acceptance (UMEGA) theoretical model to examine rural citizens’ attitudes and continuous behavioural intentions towards e-government service to enhance sustainable livelihood in Karnataka, India. The present studies employed quantitative and convenient sampling methods to collect 497 self-reported survey samples from rural citizens in Karnataka, India. A partial least square-structural equation modelling method was used to analyse survey data and hypothesis testing. Findings suggest that performance expectancy, information quality, social influence, trust in village-level entrepreneurs (VLEs), service quality and facilitating conditions significantly influence rural citizens’ attitudes towards the continuous intention of digital public service. Hence, perceived risk negatively affects rural citizens’ attitudes towards the continuous intention of e-government services. Furthermore, rural citizens’ trust in VLE factors moderates between attitudes and continuous intention. This study was the first to explore an integrated analysis of UMEGA, service and information quality and trust in framing rural citizens’ continuous behavioural intention towards e-government services. These findings contribute to government, appointing agencies, academic, rural social communities and local panchayats to implement policymaking decisions to reach more accessible Grama One public service to rural and remote area peoples in the Indian context.
This study aims to determine the factors influencing crop insurance adoption at the farm level. We have used primary data and a multistage simple random sampling method to collect the responses from 240 farm households in the two districts of Odisha. Using the binary logit regression, the result shows that the significant positive factors influencing the choice to adopt agricultural crop insurance are the farmer’s education, non-farm income, the cost of agriculture, the proportion of own land, experience with other insurance products and access to credit. Furthermore, a farmer with more dependent members in the family is less likely to adopt insurance. Additionally, we observed that adoption decisions vary among different age groups. The small sample size is the limitation of this study. So, further research could be conducted on the related subject in region-specific, crop-specific and different groups of farmers in the country based on their risk preferences. Our study suggests a need for targeted and inclusive policy mechanisms to support rural farmers. Increasing awareness, farm diversification and special provisions for rented farmers may help to improve crop insurance uptake. We conclude that the government should consider farmers’ needs and constraints in accessing crop insurance during climate risk.
