Social, economic and environmental impacts of organic cotton production on the livelihood of smallholder farmers in Odisha, India

Abstract

Cotton is an important source of income for smallholder farmers in India, usually grown very intensively. To counteract negative impacts of cotton cultivation in India, such as environmental degradation and financial dependency due to high input costs, organic cotton cultivation is being promoted by non-governmental organizations in the country. This study examines how the conversion to organic cotton cultivation influences the livelihood of smallholder farmers in rural India. Interviews with organic farmers were conducted in Odisha, India, complemented by expert interviews and observations in the field. Results show that farmers profit from organic agriculture, mainly due to soil improvements, through reduced exposure to toxic chemicals and lower input costs, which in turn reduces dependency on money lenders. Organic agriculture enables smallholder farmers in the study region to improve their livelihood by providing access to training and by organizing in groups. Important social impacts identified in this study were capacity building and strengthened communities, through training and institution building. However, a higher workload, due to the higher work intensity of organic farming practices, was also observed, with this impacting women more than men. Environmental conditions and gender aspects still remain challenging.

Application of structural equation modelling to develop a conceptual model for smallholder’s credit access: The mediation of agility and innovativeness in organic food value chain finance

“…In many Asian countries such as Pakistan, mobile banking is taking off and has already become one of the "new and fast-developing spaces at the convergence of technology and financial services"' [78]. It saves from the exploitative behavior of the middle-men, who use the prevailing information gap and claim a relatively high interest rate [19,79]. ICT will improve the creditworthiness of smallholders, thereby strengthening the partnerships among value chain actors that reduce the cost of interaction among stakeholders and the risk associated with VCF [80,81].…”

“…As a result, financial services of banks are very limited to organic producers and it is very difficult for smallholders to get loans [16,17]. In addition, the rural low-income smallholders have little formal relationship with the banking system; this makes them dependent on arthi (middlemen) for informal loans, who charge predatory prices for loans because of their low creditworthiness [18,19]. According to Haq et al [20] and Altenbuchner et al [19] arthi appears to be a service provider fulfilling the financial needs of farmers in rural areas where the formal financial sector is not considered creditworthy.…”

“…In addition, the rural low-income smallholders have little formal relationship with the banking system; this makes them dependent on arthi (middlemen) for informal loans, who charge predatory prices for loans because of their low creditworthiness [18,19]. According to Haq et al [20] and Altenbuchner et al [19] arthi appears to be a service provider fulfilling the financial needs of farmers in rural areas where the formal financial sector is not considered creditworthy. Even though the positive attributions of arthi, the previous studies on smallholder credit access, have shown that these middlemen earned much more money than the banks or formal institutes [21].…”

Exploring the Drivers of Irrigator Mental Health in the Murray–Darling Basin, Australia

“…Especially in areas such as horticulture, growers are increasingly converting to certified organic agriculture, and name water security, finance, and environmental issues as their main motivations for conversion [11]. Some other potential benefits and costs of organic agriculture include reduced input costs, poverty reduction, and improved soil conditions [36,37]; higher income (especially in dry years) [38,39]; and more diversified production and resilience [39,40]. In South Australia, it has been found that organic and biodynamic grape growers perceive less vulnerability to reduced water and greater resilience to water stress due to their higher soil water retention and carbon matter in soils [11].…”

How Safe Is Organic Farming by Subsistence Farmers from Developing Countries in the Face of Persistent Organic Pollutants in the Environment?

“…The main objectives of organic farming are to enhance farmers' livelihoods, increase agricultural 30 production within the less privileged group and also reduce the negative impact of inorganic 31 fertilizers on the environment (Scialabba and Hattam, 2002). Altenbuchner et al (2017) further 32 mentioned that the goal of organic farming also includes women empowerment with the aim of 33 gaining access to education thereby assisting them to make informed decision that may affect their 34 health and overall wellbeing. Through the introduction of organic farming, it is also possible for 35 women to apply their indigenous knowledge and embrace their role as 'keeper of seeds' which in 36 turn encourages biodiversity (Farnworth & Hutchings, 2009).…”