Foundation for Agrarian Studies

Our Trustee, Professor Madhura Swaminathan will be speaking at an online discussion hosted by the Kerala Economic Association (KEA) on December 4, 2024, at 6 pm. Her talk will focus on village studies as a methodology for studying rural India. You can join the webinar here : https://lnkd.in/gesyag8F

The fourth seminar of the FAS Young Scholars’ Online Seminar Series 2024-25 took place on Friday, November 29, 2024 at 4 PM IST. The seminar was presented by Prachi Bansal, Assistant professor, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU). The discussant for this session was Dr. Niladri Sekhar Dhar, Associate Professor, Bihar Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Patna, Bihar. To attend the next seminars of this series, register at the link below: https://lnkd.in/gGWtRVEW Here is a glimpse of the presentation.

Professor Amiya Bagchi, who died on November 28, 2024, was one of India's most distinguished economic historians and public intellectuals. His work has been instrumental in helping us understand the economic and political processes responsible for perpetuating "underdevelopment" in the erstwhile colonies. Professor Bagchi was a longtime friend of the Foundation for Agrarian Studies. He addressed the plenary session of the FAS's tenth-anniversary conference, attended and participated in many of our online meetings, and made valuable contributions to the Review of Agrarian Studies. His articles in the Review can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/gkVVzSFH https://lnkd.in/gGmGfPqh We send our deepest condolences to his daughters, Professor Tista Bagchi and Professor Barnita Bagchi and to other members of his family.

Happening today!!! Register, if you haven't already. https://lnkd.in/gp6by_aV

Continuing with our discussion on climate change, agriculture and food security, here is a book recommendation based on a review by Madhura Swaminathan, published in the Review of Agrarian Studies (14, 1). 'Universal Food Security: How to End Hunger While Protecting the Planet' is authored by Glenn Denning and published by Columbia University Press “The book is a call to young people to engage in the challenging task of transforming food systems and establishing universal food security.” - Madhura Swaminathan Read the book review: https://lnkd.in/gf2Y2vm9

Less than two days remain for the fourth seminar of FAS Young Scholars' Online Seminar Series 2024-25 which will be presented by Prachi Bansal, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) on Friday, November 29, 2024, at 4 PM IST. Prachi Bansal’s study gives a comprehensive view of total labour use in crop cultivation across different agro-ecological zones of rural Haryana. It identifies key features such as the use of unfree labour, high levels of mechanisation, gendered division of labour, and caste-class inequalities in villages. The study also explores the variations in labour use for different crops, different operations for each crop, the alternative techniques used for the same operation, and the various contracts under which labour is employed in the region. The discussant for this session is Dr. Niladri Sekhar Dhar, Associate Professor, Bihar Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Patna, Bihar. The series is chaired by Barbara Harriss-White, Emeritus Professor of Development Studies, University of Oxford. To attend the seminar, register here: https://lnkd.in/gp6by_aV To know more: https://lnkd.in/gZTen7BY

In the context of the recently concluded COP29 Azerbaijan, in an interview with The New Indian Express, Kaveh Zahedi, FAO Director, stressed the need to allocate 30% of climate aid to agriculture. Zahedi clarified that addressing food insecurity and climate resilience must be tackled together, as neither can be prioritised over the other. The Review of Agrarian Studies (5, 2) analysed climate change's impacts on food systems and sustainable agriculture, drawing lessons from the Paris Climate Change Conference. These insights align with FAO’s call to prioritise agriculture for resilient and sustainable food systems. To know more about agriculture and climate change, read the full issue of our journal: https://lnkd.in/g8NxKkuB Read the full interview: https://lnkd.in/gNMAPyus

2024 is set to be the warmest year on record as it breaches the 1.5°C warming limit, according to the  Copernicus Climate Change Service. Each year of breach brings the world closer to exceeding the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement. The UN warned that current policies could lead to over 3°C of warming this century. According to an RAS paper, “What Should the Climate Goal Be, 1.5°C or 2°C?”, by Tejal Kanitkar, the world’s carbon budget is fast depleting. According to IPCC and WRI data analysed in the study, if we want to limit warming to 2°C, we have only 325 billion metric tonnes of carbon emissions left between 2011 and 2100. But for 1.5°C, there's barely any space left for the future: just 77 billion metric tonnes. Thus, reaching the 1.5°C goal is likely impossible with current technologies. And “while the 1.5°C target can be a goal to which the world as a whole may aspire, it cannot be the basis on which mitigation responsibilities are decided in the here and now”, Tejal Kanitkar quotes. To read the full press release: https://lnkd.in/eFvhpTfF Explore the discussion on whether the climate goal should be 1.5°C or 2°C: https://lnkd.in/gsE5pRrc

Labour absorption is a critical concept in labour studies, offering insights into the overall state of the economy. Low labour absorption often signals issues such as jobless growth or structural unemployment. Agriculture in India today, suffers from low labour absorption, as explained by Niladri Sekhar Dhar in his article, ‘Surplus Labour in Crop Production: Evidence from Select Villages in India'. The fourth seminar of the YSOSS 2024-25, presented by Prachi Bansal, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), will discuss details of ‘Labour Absorption in Crop Cultivation in Rural Haryana’. As we gear up for the session, here is a brief on the concept of labour absorption. Date and time of the seminar: November 29, 2024, 4 pm IST. To attend the seminar, register here: https://lnkd.in/gp6by_aV To know more: https://lnkd.in/gZTen7BY Link to the article: https://lnkd.in/gdK9c3Na

The fourth seminar of the FAS Young Scholars’ Online Seminar Series 2024-25 will be presented by Prachi Bansal, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) on Friday, November 29, 2024 at 4 PM IST. Prachi Bansal’s study gives a comprehensive view of total labour use in crop cultivation across different agro-ecological zones of rural Haryana. It identifies key features such as the use of unfree labour, high levels of mechanisation, gendered division of labour, and caste-class inequalities in villages. The study also explores the variations in labour use for different crops, different operations for each crop, the alternative techniques used for the same operation, and the various contracts under which labour is employed in the region. The discussant for this session is Dr. Niladri Sekhar Dhar, Associate Professor, Bihar Institute of Public Finance and Policy, Patna, Bihar. The series is chaired by Barbara Harriss-White, Emeritus Professor of Development Studies, University of Oxford. To attend the seminar, register here: https://lnkd.in/gp6by_aV To know more: https://lnkd.in/gZTen7BY