A study analyzes how governmentality and market failures exacerbate the issue of farmers’ stubble burning in India. It highlights how policies like MSP push farmers toward mono-cropping and unsustainable practices, with stubble burning seen as a survival tactic.
Relevance : GS 3(Economic Development,Agriculture)
Governmentality and Its Role in Exacerbating Stubble Burning:
- Governmentality: The concept introduced by Michel Foucault emphasizes how governments exert control indirectly, influencing self-regulation in individuals rather than using direct coercive measures.
- Indirect Government Control: The study suggests that the Indian government’s emphasis on increasing agricultural production, particularly wheat and rice, inadvertently encourages behaviors like stubble burning. Farmers are left with few choices and little support, leading to the adoption of unsustainable practices.
Neoliberal Policies and Market Failures:
- Minimum Support Price (MSP) Paradox: While MSP guarantees prices for crops, it discourages crop diversification and leads to over-reliance on wheat and rice. This increases dependency on practices like stubble burning to prepare soil for the next crop cycle.
- Mono-cropping: Farmers, incentivized by MSP, often focus on mono-cropping, which in turn creates soil health degradation and an overproduction of certain crops (wheat and rice). This system encourages stubble burning as an immediate and cheap solution for residue disposal.
- Market Dysfunction: The agricultural market system in India, influenced by neoliberal policies, remains skewed against farmers. The role of middlemen (arhtias) exacerbates the issue, as they dictate prices and credit terms, trapping farmers in a cycle of debt and limited financial agency.
Farmers’ Perceptions and Government Policies:
- Contradictory Signals: Farmers report receiving conflicting signals from the state—while stubble burning is penalized, no affordable alternatives are provided. The government seems to prioritize urban-industrial interests over rural communities, aggravating the alienation of farmers.
- Debt Dependency: Farmers rely heavily on arhtias for credit and price determination, perpetuating a cycle of debt bondage. The stagnant MSP rates, which have not kept pace with the rising cost of inputs like labor and equipment, further contribute to financial strain.
- State’s Role in Marginalization: The study asserts that stubble burning should not be viewed as merely an individual act of negligence but as a result of a larger systemic failure rooted in government policies and market dynamics.
Market and Policy-Based Solutions to Mitigate Stubble Burning:
- Developing a Market for Stubble: The authors propose creating a market for stubble and stubble-based products (e.g., fodder, bioenergy, packaging) to provide farmers with alternative, income-generating options. This market could reduce the incentive for burning.
- Strengthening the Value Chain: To make stubble-based products viable, technological interventions and a supportive ecosystem are essential. This will require policy and market interventions, including stakeholder involvement from both state and market actors across the agricultural value chain.
Regulatory Interventions:
- Prohibitions and Permits: The government could consider a mix of regulatory strategies: enforcing a ban on stubble burning, managing it through selective permits, and promoting stubble utilization for value-added products.
- Addressing Market Inefficiencies: Ensuring that farmers receive fair prices for their produce is a crucial intervention. Enhancing price transparency, fairness, and reducing the influence of middlemen will help alleviate the economic pressures that drive stubble burning.
Socio-Cultural Factors:
- Aspirational Consumption Pressure: Farmers often face socio-economic pressure to consume aspirational goods despite limited income. Addressing this pressure may involve shifting cultural norms and promoting a mindset that values sustainability over material aspirations.
- Role of Cultural Organizations: The involvement of religious and cultural organizations in demarketing non-essential aspirational consumption can play a role in mitigating the socio-cultural pressure on farmers, thereby contributing to long-term changes in behavior.
Conclusion:
- Governmentality and Market Failures: The study concludes that governmentality, along with neoliberal policies and market failures, exacerbates the problem of stubble burning. The existing system marginalizes farmers and incentivizes unsustainable practices.
- Holistic Solutions Needed: Effective solutions require an integrated approach, involving both regulatory interventions and market-based strategies that empower farmers economically, address the root causes of stubble burning, and provide viable alternatives.
