Role of Agri-Food Value Chains in Bolstering Small and Marginal Farmers in India
India's agri-food value chains have been evolving over the last few decades to cater to the growing consumer demand for healthy, safe, and nutritious food. These value chains are increasingly getting integrated from production to marketing to cater to such demand. While large and/or commercial farmers have easy access to such modern food value chains, small and marginal farmers in India and other developing countries alike are unable to take advantage of the same. Focusing on improving the agri-food value chains, particularly for perishables, makes a strong case in India given most Indian farmers are small and marginal farmers and are unable to take advantage of economies of scale. It is encouraging that both public and private sector entities are getting engaged in connecting Indian farmers directly to the supply chains of various crops. However, more needs to be done to make the processes, particularly in the public sector, the least bureaucratic and more farmer-focused so that small and marginal farmers in particular, benefit widely.