Cultivating the seeds of change: how intersectional identities are embedded in the spread of Zero Budget Natural Farming in Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

This research set out to investigate how gender and economic class were embedded in Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) practices and their livelihood outcomes in Andhra Pradesh, India. Andhra Pradesh is characterised by any aspects of the agrarian crisis and as a response to these problems adopted the agroecological practice of ZBNF. I applied the sustainable livelihood framework in combination with intersectionality during this research. In addition, I investigated several steps of the research on different scales of analysis to unravel otherwise hidden (power) dynamics. The methods used consisted of semi-structured interviews with ZBNF farmers and experts. Additionally, participatory rural appraisal methods have been used during women’s self-help groups. At last, participant observation was used to create a more complete image of ZBNF in Andhra Pradesh. The research was executed in the Tenali and Madakasira regions of Andhra Pradesh, which have distinct agroclimatic and socioeconomic characteristics. The results showed that on a household level, livelihood capitals consisting of indigenous cows, social capital and land ownership/tenancy affected the adoption of ZBNF practices nuancedly. Improving health, cutting cultivation costs and improving soil health were the primary motivations for adopting ZBNF practices. Zooming in showed that women had different livelihood capitals compared to the household level. Women’s self-help groups appeared to increase knowledge of ZBNF practices, providing financial and physical capital. However, no evidence was found that these individual livelihood capitals consistently translated into adopting ZBNF. The double time burden of women (especially from the low economic class) might hinder translating individual livelihood capitals into ZBNF adoption. Additionally, intra-household work division and decision-making did not change after adopting ZBNF practices. At last, ZBNF farmers perceived changes in household livelihood outcomes such as improved well-being, especially health, cultivation cost reduction, improved soil characteristics and decreased vulnerability to external shocks. However, the well-being of women from a lower class might be affected differently due to the increased workload associated with ZBNF. Concerning the broader field of agroecology, this research has found some evidence for its transformative aspects confronting industrial (inter) national food systems. It showed how intersectional identities are embedded in multiple aspects of ZBNF, such as intra-household decision- making and women’s involvement in agriculture. At last, this research shows the usefulness of investigating sustainable livelihood from multiple levels of analysis, unravelling otherwise hidden (power) dynamics.