K01-Rural Institutions

It was the combination of the political leadership of Tribhuvandas Patel, the technical skill and vision provided by Dr Verghese Kurien and the innate entrepreneurial ability of the Kaira district farmers which made for the success of the Amul model. Although rare, these elements can also be cultivated in other environments, as demonstrated by the Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation’s (BRLF) experiment with Agriculture Production Clusters (APCs) in Orissa’s tribal regions. It has shown that an absence of political leadership alone need not stop the progress on this front, if good partnerships can be formed between the producers themselves, the state, and civil society organisations. https://thewire.in/agriculture/producers-co-operatives-is-it-an-alternative-to-farmers-agitations The BRLF is an independent society set up by the Union government in 2013, to foster partnerships between the government , private philanthropic organisations, civil society organisations and other stakeholder groups to upscale civil society action. The goal is to transform the livelihoods and lives of the most vulnerable people across India, with a special focus on the Central Indian tribal region. One, if rural incomes are to improve, and urban migration to be curtailed, a 360 degree, integrated approach is necessary. Not only diversification of livelihoods but all stages of the production and marketing process need to be tackled as parts of a whole. The second even more valuable lesson for both the farmers and the government is that collaboration and co-option work better than agitation. The above process creates a space for peaceful dialogue and meaningful policy changes beneficial to all without resorting to tractors and teargas. by Pushpa Sundar 25/07/2024