Tenancy in the Eastern Gangetic Plains : Collective action to overcome agrarian stress
Fraser Sugden
In the highly stratified social formation of the Eastern Gangetic Plains, tenant and part-tenants represent a significant proportion of the farming population. Tenants surrender a large proportion of their surplus to the local and absentee landlords at the apex of the agrarian structure, while tenure insecurity and the rent burden impede investments in productivity improving inputs. Research from southern Nepal and Indiaas Bihar state shows how this group is particularly vulnerable in the context of climate change. Few can afford the risks of investing in tubewells and pumps to improve resilience to droughts, and many are obliged to access irrigation at inflated rates through groundwater markets. Combined with rising living costs, menial seasonal and permanent migrant labour is increasingly essential for tenant households to meet their subsistence needs. While only meaningful land reforms can bring about serious changes in prospects for tenant farmers, this paper suggests a short term solution based upon the collective leasing of land which can raise productivity and increase resilience. Drawing on case studies of successful collectives in South Asia from the field and secondary sources, this paper explores the opportunities and challenges of a new model of collective production, oriented to South Asiaas most vulnerable farmers.
Event: Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty 2015
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