Kerala’s Agrarian Crisis Reflects Structural Neglect of Ecological and Small-Scale Farming Systems
Original framing: “When Agriculture Becomes an Unwanted Portfolio: Kerala’s Agrarian Crisis and the Search for an Ecological Future | Jos Chathukulam & A. M. Jose” — bing news
Kerala’s agrarian crisis has deep historical roots in colonial land policies and post-independence land reforms that favored consolidation and mechanization. The shift from subsistence to cash-crop farming in the 20th century disrupted traditional food systems and increased vulnerability to market fluctuations.
Kerala’s agrarian crisis is not merely a political issue but a systemic failure rooted in historical land policies, ecological degradation, and the marginalization of smallholder and indigenous farming systems.
By integrating agroecological practices, strengthening farmer cooperatives, and reforming land and water governance, Kerala can move toward a more sustainable and just agricultural future. Cross-cultural models from Cuba and Bhutan offer valuable lessons, while the voices of marginalized farmers and the revival of traditional knowledge systems are essential to this transformation. The reluctance to assign the Agriculture portfolio is a symptom of deeper structural neglect, and addressing it requires a radical reimagining of governance, ecology, and food sovereignty.