Centre for Research on Governance and DevelopmentThe Public Policy BridgeIndependent Research. Informed Dialogue. Transformative Policy.
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Research vertical 08
The future of farming and rural livelihoods in a state where land is scarce, labour is costly and the climate is changing.
Agriculture’s share of Kerala’s economy has fallen, but farming and rural livelihoods remain central to food security, ecology and the incomes of many households.
Paddy land has been converted to other uses for decades, with consequences for water and food. Plantation farmers are exposed to international prices they cannot control. Agricultural labour is expensive and scarce. Climate change is altering rainfall and pests. At the same time, women’s collectives and farmer groups have shown that rural enterprise can work at scale.
The vertical works with the Environment, Employment and Economy verticals, and with farmer organisations and agricultural universities.
Can paddy cultivation be made viable without losing wetlands to other uses?
How should rubber, spice, tea and coffee growers be protected from price shocks?
What role can farmer producer organisations and women's collectives play in rural incomes?
How should the public distribution system change as diets and incomes change?
Landslides in Kerala's hill districts have taken many lives in recent years. This special report brings together geology, land use, local governance and the experience of survivors to set out how hill communities can be made safer.
Researcher Three, Scholar Three, Research Fellow Two
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