Rupak Goswami

The article describes the experimentation of Change Initiatives, an Indian NGO of sub-regional scope, with the application of ICT in agricultural information management under the EU sponsored TeleSupport Project at Nadia district of West Bengal, India. During the project period an innovative mechanism of information management was experimented to facilitate two-way interaction between expert and client system with the involvement of local community. To sustain the two-way communication system two mobile and one fixed telecentre were established in the project area. The web resource created for sustaining the project hosted a large number of good practices, inspired numerous interactions among the stakeholders and facilitated diffusion of several agro-technologies. Large number of organizations and experts also joined the network. Within the project period, a considerable number of villagers including rural women and youth could be reached periodically with relevant agricultural info...

Integrated farming systems (IFS) have emerged as an effective means to achieve long-term sustainability in smallholder agriculture, particularly in developing countries. IFS can enhance farm sustainability in stressed ecosystems, and their sustainability must be studied to achieve the long-term sustainability of coastal agroecosystems. The study's objective was to assess the sustainability of representative IFS of coastal West Bengal, India, examine the relative performance of social, economic, and ecological dimensions of farm sustainability, find key sustainability indicators, and identify the factors of IFS's sustainability. Another objective of the study was to suggest an indicative farm typology that encompasses a variety of alternative paths to farm viability. Using a composite indicator based on a synthesized indicator framework for small-scale farms, we assessed the sustainability of 140 IFS in coastal West Bengal, India. Farmers on the highly sustainable farms effectively collected and utilized sweet water, produced on-farm biomass, and used sustainable farming practices. These practices, along with the remittances provided by migrant family members, improved agricultural productivity, profitability, and living conditions of farm families. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis identified that farm size, soil fertility, and non-farm income shaped the sustainability of the IFS. However, the pathways to sustainability were differed depending on the farm types. The study also identified the farms that overcame the trade-off among social, economic, and ecological sustainability dimensions. Future research may explore how these farms may be used to achieve 'strong' agricultural sustainability in the coastal agroecosystems.

The shock of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted food systems worldwide. Such disruption, affecting multiple systems interfaces in smallholder agriculture, is unprecedented and needs to be understood from multi-stakeholder perspectives. The multiple loops of causality in the pathways of impact renders the system outcomes unpredictable. Understanding the nature of such unpredictable pathways is critical to identify present and future systems intervention strategies. Our study aims to explore the multiple pathways of present and future impact created by the pandemic and “Amphan” cyclonic storm on smallholder agricultural systems. Also, we anticipate the behaviour of the systems elements under different realistic scenarios of intervention. We explored the severity and multi-faceted impacts of the pandemic on vulnerable smallholder agricultural production systems through in-depth interactions with key players at the micro-level. It provided contextual information, and revealed critical insights to understand the cascading effect of the pandemic and the cyclone on farm households. We employed thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with multiple stakeholders in Sundarbans areas in eastern India, to identify the present and future systems outcomes caused by the pandemic, and later compounded by “Amphan”. The immediate adaptation strategies of the farmers were engaging family labors, exchanging labors with neighbouring farmers, borrowing money from relatives, accessing free food rations, replacing dead livestock, early harvesting, and reclamation of waterbodies. The thematic analysis identified several systems elements, such as harvesting, marketing, labor accessibility, among others, through which the impacts of the pandemic were expressed. Drawing on these outputs, we employed Mental Modeler, a Fuzzy-Logic Cognitive Mapping tool, to develop multi-stakeholder mental models for the smallholder agricultural systems of the region. Analysis of the mental models indicated the centrality of “Kharif” (monsoon) rice production, current farm income, and investment for the next crop cycle to determine the pathways and degree of the dual impact on farm households. Current household expenditure, livestock, and soil fertility were other central elements in the shared mental model. Scenario analysis with multiple stakeholders suggested enhanced market access and current household income, sustained investment in farming, rapid improvement in affected soil, irrigation water and livestock as the most effective strategies to enhance the resilience of farm families during and after the pandemic. This study may help in formulating short and long-term intervention strategies in the post-pandemic communities, and the methodological approach can be used elsewhere to understand perturbed socioecological systems to formulate anticipatory intervention strategies based on collective wisdom of stakeholders.

Economic liberalisation has created opportunities for semiskilled labours within and outside India. This study investigates the male out-migration from the Sundarbans region of India with special reference to the choice of their destinations. Following a mixed-method approach, we collected data through a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, key-informant interviews, and Participatory Rural Appraisal. Analyses revealed that migrants tended to travel to diverse inland and even to overseas destinations on a fixed condition, facilitated by pre-existing support networks. The decision on choosing a destination is regulated by several micro-level determinants such as migration chronology, education, and acquired skill, life cycle stage of the migrants, the expected amount of remittance, the reason for migration, and nature of the job at the destination. The destinations abroad are often preceded by migration to inland destinations leading to higher acquired skill and savings. Joint families, having the ability to support international travel and access to support networks, were more prone to reach international destinations.

This study compares thirteen rice-based cropping systems in the coastal part of West Ben-gal, India in terms of productivity, profitability, energetics, and emissions. Information on the crop management practices of these systems was collected on 60 farms through a questionnaire survey. Rice-bitter gourd system was observed to have the highest system yield (49.88 ± 4.34 tha −1 yr −1) followed by rice-potato-ridge gourd (37.78 ± 2.77 tha −1 yr −1) and rice-potato-pumpkin (36.84 ± 2.04 tha −1 yr −1) systems. The rice-bitter gourd system also recorded the highest benefit:cost ratio (3.92 ± 0.061). The lowest system yield and economics were recorded in the rice-fallow-fallow system. Rice-sunflower system recorded highest specific energy (2.54 ± 0.102 MJkg −1), followed by rice-rice (2.14 ± 0.174 MJkg −1) and rice-fallow-fallow (1.91 ± 0.327 MJkg −1) systems, lowest being observed in the rice-bitter gourd (0.52 ± 0.290 MJkg −1) and rice-pointed gourd (0.52 ± 0.373 MJkg −1) systems. Yield-scaled GHGs (YSGHG) emission was highest (1.265 ± 0.29 t CO 2eq t −1 system yield) for rice-fallow-fallow system and was lowest for rice-vegetable systems. To estimate the uncertainty of the YSGHG across different systems under study, Monte-Carlo Simulation was performed. It was observed that there was a 5% probability of recording YSGHG emission > 1.15 t CO 2eq t −1 system yield from different cropping systems in the present experiment. Multiple system properties such as productivity, economics, energy, and emission from all rice-based systems taken together, the rice-vegetable system performed consistently well across parameters and may be practised for higher economic returns with judicious and sustainable utilization of resources in the coastal saline tracts of the region.

Yield gaps of maize (Zea mays L.) in the smallholder farms of eastern India are outcomes of a complex interplay of climatic variations, soil fertility gradients, socioeconomic factors, and differential management intensities. Several machine learning approaches were used in this study to investigate the relative influences of multiple biophysical, socioeconomic , and crop management features in determining maize yield variability using several machine learning approaches. Soil fertility status was assessed in 180 farms and paired with the surveyed data on maize yield, socioeconomic conditions, and agronomic management. The C&RT relative variable importance plot identified farm size, total labor, soil factors, seed rate, fertilizer , and organic manure as influential factors. Among the three approaches compared for classifying maize yield, the artificial neural network (ANN) yielded the least (25%) misclassi-fication on validation samples. The random forest partial dependence plots revealed a positive association between farm size and maize productivity. Nonlinear support vector machine boundary analysis for the eight top important variables revealed complex interactions underpinning maize yield response. Notably, farm size and total labor synergistically increased maize yield. Future research integrating these algorithms with empirical crop growth models and crop simulation models for ex-ante yield estimations could result in further improvement.

Male out-migration from rural to urban areas has amplified worldwide in the face of economic globalisation. Migration literature for long has engaged with the life of migrants at the destination and their support for the left-behind families in the form of remittances. Explicit scholastic undertaking for the left-behind women and their life experiences has started to receive attention only recently. We take stock of the existing literature to examine this social process and debate it within a women empowerment-disempowerment framework. Following a systematic review of the 'migration left-behind nexus' literature, we find a clear trend of transformation in the gender role of women everywhere, especially in the form of 'feminisation of agriculture'. This process is largely moderated by the nature and amount of remittances received at source. The resultant well-being and empowerment of women is shaped by the socio-cultural context within which migration takes place. Both positive and/or negative outcomes for left-behind women are recorded in the literature, although its choice as a conscious decision and its subsequent permanence in a society is debatable. We expect a deeper engagement of future research that takes up the migration-led women empowerment issue within the context of the general social transformation process.

Farming of giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii, popularly known as 'scampi,' has recently been expanding in India. The present study was conducted using questionnaire survey, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), key informant interviews and focus group discussion to assess the present state of production of giant river prawn (M. rosenbergii) in South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal, India. The socio-economic and technical survey on 80 prawn farmers was conducted during May, 2014 - April, 2015.  Prawn culture in ponds is slowly departing from the traditional endogenously managed system to a more extensive and commercial venture in the study areas. However, use of technology and scientific knowledge has not been adopted widely. In spite of operating within a semi-traditional system, this enterprise has shown moderate productivity and higher income in the study areas. Major constraints in the large scale culture of prawn were inadequate supply of seed at required quantities across locations, disease management and social evils such as theft and poisoning of pond. Yield of prawn culture was affected by - pond condition, family labour engagement in prawn culture and resource endowment of the farm family. Linkage with formal financial institutions, subsidised input support from fishery department and investment in human resource development of farmers might be some point of interventions to boost prawn culture in the coastal zone of West Bengal, India.

Smallholder farms in developing countries are key to global food security and sustainability of agricultural systems. Suitable tools are needed to assess the utility of these systems for long-term policy interventions. We outline the development of a sustainability index for smallholder systems by amalgamating ecological frameworks and sustainable livelihood framework. We critically describe the process involved in the development of the indicator framework, selection of indicators, their measurement and assignment of weight, and aggregation to arrive at a composite index. A practical tool based on this index may prove helpful for long-term sustainability assessment in smallholder farms of developing countries.

Farming in the Sundarbans region is typically rainfed, constrained by hostile and challenged ecosystems, and is characterized by low input use and poor crop productivity. The male farmers, due to fragmented land holding and frequent crop failure (as a result ofbiophysical constraints, and extreme climatic events), are compelled to migrate to different districts of West Bengal, to other states, or even to other countries to sustain their livelihoods. Their female counterparts are ‘left-behind’ in the villages and perform a wide array of works, both domestic and farm-related. Domination, deprivation and discrimination, along with lack of recognition and remuneration for tremendous workload are common for these left-behind women in a patriarchal society. But, this expansion of gender role may slowly and consistently lead to autonomy of marginal women in this marginal land. A conclusive assertion, however, asks for scholastic empirical engagement.

The strength and effectiveness of social networks influence the ability of communities to cope with disaster events. Social Network Analysis (SNA) provides scope of analysing such complex networks in disaster-hit communities. We describe the application of SNA in a disaster-hit community and show the changing pattern of evolving networks during and after the disaster. The disaster event was conceptually divided into four distinct phases namely ‘extreme event’ (Phase-1), ‘immediate community response’ (Phase-2), ‘relief’ (Phase-3) and ‘rehabilitation’ (Phase-4), through a series of focus group discussions with the community. We also considered the Pre- and Post-disaster phases for before-after comparison of the community’s social network. Network data for all these six phases was collected through personal interview from the affected households located besides the river embankment. For all the six phases, unique networks were found with different central nodes, although few nodes remained central in more than one the phase. Different measures of network density and mean network centrality increased from the pre-disaster stage in Phase-1, just after the disaster event, and then consistently reduced from Phase 2 to Phase 4. Then again they increased at the post-disaster phase. While the Phase-1 was characterized by endogenous nodes and ties, during the later stages, the networks assumed a core central structure constituted of both internal and external nodes, with peripheral components. The internal and external central actors maintained link between local (friends, relatives, neighbours) and external (institutional) entities. The analysis illustrates the interactions within and between community networks, and may initiate situational awareness, efficient planning, and optimal resources allocation for disaster preparedness, community resilience, and response.

The need for sustainable agricultural advancements remain at the forefront of global development practices, with smallholder farms emerging as an essential factor in creating long-lasting improvements in food security, enhanced nutrition, and economic development. Sustainable intensification and diversification in small farms can achieve these outcomes and often take the form of integration among farm resources to achieve sustainable livelihood. However, such integration is promoted in the form of integrated farming system (IFS) models as a single farm innovation for the smallholder systems of developing countries without considering the heterogeneity and priorities of farm families. Using the sustainable livelihoods (SL) framework, we propose a modified model for IFS promotion, particularly applicable for developing nations. The model modifies the standard SL model and illustrates how, based on the resources and vulnerabilities of small farms, IFS needs to be customised to achieve multifunctional benefits for smallholder farmers depending on the locations. It should first integrate the available assets of a farm, and then consider the micro-intervention that are strategically designed in a conscious livelihood based on their socioeconomic, bio-physical, political, and cultural situations. The goal of this article is to achieve multiple desirable livelihood outcomes at farm and community levels. This conceptualisation should help to develop IFS models based on local resources and farmers’ priorities that become more flexible than rigid.

Agro-ecological practices, including integration within farming systems, have increasingly been acknowledged as key development alternative to safeguard rural people's basic needs. It also enhances farmers' socio-ecological capacities to sustain livelihoods. This paper explores the multidimensional nature of agro-ecological practices and takes stock of its multiple outcomes in smallholder systems of developing countries. Literatures suggest that farm ers' foremost concern is to meet their socioeconomic , cultural and ecological needs in addition to combating multiple adversities caused by biotic and abiotic stresses. This asks for planned integration among the components in small farms leading to reduced stress and multiple benefits to the farm households. Integration among the components of farming system are often employed as a livelihood strategy in small farms and it plays a pivotal role in meeting the multidimensional needs of the farm family such as food security, risk reduction, income and employment, biodiversity, carbon storage and energy efficiency in farm. Public extension must appreciate IFS as a socio-ecological intervention, instead of a technology, to achieve varied desirable socioeconomic ecological outcomes.

Participatory methods may prove helpful at the exploratory phase of developing a working adoption model for organic agriculture. A study carried out in selected areas of West Bengal, India employed innovative participatory methods for identifying farmers' perception regarding the attributes of organic agriculture and several farm- and farmer-related factors. Analysis of participatory exercises facilitated the development of a potential pool of factors that may be used for developing an effective adoption model for organic agriculture.
The process helps develop econometric models that study the transition of chemical agriculture to organic agriculture.

Identification and characterization of farming systems simplify huge diversity of farm types in complex agro-ecosystems, which is of critical importance for precise technological intervention and informed policy support. Multivariate statistical techniques like Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA) may be used for a wide variety of situations associated with farm typology delineation. The present study conducted in coastal saline India demonstratively established the usefulness of such methodology in identification of predominant farm types and their characterization. Data collected from 144 farm households through questionnaire survey could identify four predominant farm types with differential income sources and resource-base. The methodological perspective employed in
the study may be used as a decision support tool by extension agencies. On other hand, a differentiated, holistic and broad-based extension intervention with suitable institutional arrangement will be needed to address the need of these identified farm types. This will lead to a reduced transaction cost of the agricultural research and extension systems in diverse ecosystems in India and many similar situations in the
developing countries.