Politics of alliance in the farmers’ march to Parliament in India

On 30 November 2018 tens of thousands of Indian farmers marched to Parliament and demanded a special session to discuss the deepening agrarian crisis. The protest march to Parliament was only the latest in a series of protest marches which had been organized by an umbrella group of over 200 farmers’ organizations from all over India. Moreover, for the first time, an alliance of different activist groups, political parties, trade unions and students had cohered to support the farmers and their cause. Despite its political, empirical and theoretical significance, research on the formation of alliances has gained scant attention in sociological research. Based on original research, this article suggests alliance building should be understood with reference to political opportunities, processes of meaning attribution and framing, and as a strategy, which facilitates worthiness, unity, numbers and commitment (WUNC displays, as outlined by Charles Tilly).

State reclamation credit in the system of legislation in Ukrainian lands at the XIX – XX centuries

The article analyses the process of evolution of land reclamation legislation in general and land reclamation credit in particular of the Russian Empire of the late XIX – early XX centuries. This period of Ukrainian history is known for the sharp aggravation of the agrarian issue, which was influenced by both internal and external factors associated with the global agrarian crisis. It was this circumstance that influenced the position of the central authorities, which since the end of the XIX century have been actively looking for a way out of the crisis, using land reclamation legislation along with other methods. In this regard, the authors paid special attention to the reclamation laws of May 6, 1896, May 29, 1900, and May 20, 1902, as well as the activities of the "local committees on the needs of the agricultural industry" of the Ukrainian provinces in 1902-1903 in the corresponding direction of work. The period of the Stolypin agrarian reform, when land reclamation legislation became an integral part of a broader government program to improve the quality of agricultural land and Land Management, is also not ignored.

Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria Forskål (Acrididae): Biology, Management and Strategies: A Review

Early 2020 witnessed the emergence of global agrarian crisis with the widespread burgeoning of destructive migratory pest, Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) in East Africa, Southwest Asia, Pakistan and India. Characterised by the ability to eat ravenously, breed exponentially and migrate rapidly; locust swarms has led to substantial agrarian disaster. The current official strategy is to control the upsurges to evade plague. Though it may seem attractive and efficient, it is sensible only if the numbers are relatively low. The socio-economic and environmental challenges posed by the unprecedented locust outbreak has prompt the scientists worldwide to emanate an effective preventive management strategies that rely on updated knowledge of pest biology, ecology and behaviour along with efficient monitoring, data management, analysis, forecasting, resource deployment and control techniques. In addition, the integrated network of field teams, decision makers, analysts, rural governing bodies and farmers potentially offers better compliance of pest management strategies.

Neoliberal capitalism and misery of small peasantry and agricultural labourers in India

This article argues that, till date, a single paradigm dominates the discourse on agrarian crisis and farmers’ movement against the anti-farmer dictates of the Indian state. There is a pressing need for the organic intellectuals of the masses to build an alternative discourse to examine the agrarian crisis and its roots. To this end, the present article reasons that the neoliberal resolution of the agrarian crisis that the authoritarian-corporate nexus has imposed on the farming community will produce mass dispossession and displacement in India. It exposes the misery of traditional consciousness that rules over the current farmers’ movement in India. The article concludes that the agrarian crisis which is actually a crisis of small farmers and agricultural labourers requires modern consciousness for egalitarian and long-term resolution.

Trigo y política: El proteccionismo cerealista en el Parlamento, 1886-1890

This paper studies the channels through which the agrarian crisis (1886-1890) arrived in the Spanish Parliament and, once there, centered the economic debate until an increase of protectionism was passed. The analysis of the roll-call votes on agrarian customs that took place in those years allows to identify, narrative and quantitatively, the line-up of congressmen according to partisan guides, but, also, according to the economic interests, agrarian interests here, of the provinces that they represented. Interestingly, the Parliamentary dynamics that the agrarian crisis revealed supports the idea of those who see in the Bourbon Restauration a regime where decision-making resulted from the interaction between the economic and political powers.

The dynamics of host participation in tourism for effectively offsetting agrarian crisis in Wayanad

Wayanad, the green paradise of Kerala, is located in the Southern most part of the Deccan Plateau. Wayanad, where , majority of the population completely depend on agriculture for their livelihood, has been facing a high magnitude agrarian crisis in the last few years. This district has witnessed a number of farmer suicides and as a result of this; farmers are forced ato look our for some additional source of livelihood along with agriculture. Having a remarkable image of a beautiful tourist destination, the government of Kerala has identified Wayanad as a Tourism District and tourism is an emerging sector here. The scenic beauty, exotic landscape and rich heritage sites of Waynad offer several opportunities for a 360 degree tourism expansion in the district. Considering the district wise foreign tourist arrivals, Wayanad shows the highest variation among other districts of Kerala in the last few years. In a fast urbanising country like Kerala, places such as Wayanad is one of the few Indian districts which still retain its charm as a rural district. It is not swept by mindless urbanization like many other regions of India. Of course, this unique characteristic gives enourmous tourism potential to the place. Keeping in view the distinctive features of Wayanad, especially the natural attractions and the indigenous culture, a sustainable tourism model can be an effective alternative to offset the agrarian crisis of the district. The present scenario of host community participation in th various facets of tourism in Wayanad is intensively studied in this paper. It aims at proposing concrete ways in which the benefits from tourism can be channelized productively to uplift the affected sections of society facing agrarian crisis in Wayanad.

Usability and effectiveness of new media in agricultural learning and development: a case study on the southern states of India

Purpose Despite a lot of agricultural initiatives by the government in a regionally diversified country like India, agriculture is poor, and farmer suicide cases are rampant. This study aims to socially transform and bring behavioural change among the farmers of southern India through the usage of new media. The research has gauged the factors that affect new media accessibility and usability, hindrances in the process and change of farmer’s behaviour through online social marketing bringing social transformation. Design/methodology/approach The study is action participatory in nature, and the data is triangulated by conducting a survey at the first level using the Delphi technique among 184 rural south Indian farmers who are smartphone users use new media, and at the next level, the farmers were requested to use WhatsApp for agricultural new sharing, and in the last stage, personal interview with entrepreneurs and farmers has been conducted to understand their new media adoption, e-learning and online social marketing. Findings New media is the best way to transform agricultural practices socially. It is a forum where all the farmers of the country can get together and address the issue of the agrarian crisis. Online social marketing (OSM) through WhatsApp is one of the best methods of behavioural change because different farmers can share their experiences and emotion for the crisis and give an appropriate solution to a problem. And, one of the most important features of OSM is it removes third parties from miscellaneous issues be it selling, buying or seeking and sharing information. Research limitations/implications Despite trying to cover different hindrances in the way of social marketing of agriculture, the study is not free without its limitations. Language was a barrier, and this study require a lot of time to perceive the changes and adoption. Also, due to time constraint, the authors have categorically clubbed innovators, early adopters and early majority in the same layer opinion leaders and adopters of innovation. These could be analyzed separately in five layers, as suggested by Rogers (1995). Practical implications From the managerial perspective, the government should extend services that teach the agriculturists, farmers the use of new media. The marketers and makers of apps and software can tap into this business for launching products for farmers. We need apps designed only for farmers, where agricultural and farming practitioners all over the country and globe can interact about their products, conditions of agriculture and give solution to issues arising in agriculture and farming. Originality/value The researchers posit that there are hardly any studies that provide strategies to the agricultural and farming sectors in a regionally diversified country like India. The study is one of its first kind to propose new media strategies to reach out to the farmers of different regions and segmentation for a behavioural change and adoption of new media for better and sustainable agriculture. It has gauged into the factors that affect new media accessibility and usability among farmers and simultaneously gave strategy for behavioural change.