Agriculture Ian Crisis: Mapping The Gender Composition Of The Migrant Workforce Amidst Land Fragmentation In Rural India

Abstract

This research paper investigates the deepening agrarian crisis in rural India, with a specific focus on the gendered aspects of migration amid the growing fragmentation of landholdings. Over the past three decades (1990–91 to 2020–21), Indian agriculture has experienced significant structural changes, including a sharp increase in marginal and small landholdings, a consistent decline in average operational land sizes, and insufficient food grain production at the household level, particularly among marginal farmers. Marginal farmers now account for nearly 69% of all operational holdings and increasingly contribute to food grain cultivation; however, their land productivity remains insufficient to meet their basic household consumption needs. This situation forces a considerable portion of the rural workforce to seek alternative livelihoods outside of agriculture.

The study also reveals a changing pattern in the agricultural workforce, marked by a declining proportion of cultivators and a rising number of agricultural labourers. This shift underscores the growing vulnerabilities within the agrarian economy and the increasing casualisation of rural employment. Importantly, the research highlights a critical yet often overlooked trend: the feminisation of migration within the agricultural sector. Contrary to the traditional view of migration as a predominantly male phenomenon, recent data indicate that women now outnumber men among migrant agricultural workers, cultivators, and labourers. This trend reflects a strategic adaptation by rural households in response to economic stress.

Drawing exclusively on secondary data, the study combines empirical findings with a gender-sensitive analytical framework, situating the migration imperative within broader processes of rural economic transformation. The paper advocates for policy interventions to address land fragmentation, enhance the sustainability of smallholder agriculture, and recognise the crucial role of women in both farming and migration dynamics, aiming to ensure a more equitable and sustainable rural development trajectory.