Paper short abstract:

We compare export and domestic organic rice value chains in India in terms of the benefits accrued to smallholder farmers. I focus on preliminary findings about how organic agriculture is conceptualized by different actors, and how this affects market access for smallholder farmers.

Paper long abstract:

Smallholder-farming is regarded as the backbone of agriculture and food security. Particular scrutiny in recent academic debates has been given to the implications of the agri-food globalization for small-scale or smallholder farmers (SHF), including their integration into complex and highly organized global agricultural value chains (AVC) and production networks. Increasing demand in the Global North for more sustainably-produced foods has led to debates on the benefits and challenges of SHF in the Global South growing organic crops for export. However, recent developments indicate that markets for these types of products are also growing in countries of the Global South. In this paper, I compare organic rice production value chains for export and for domestic markets in India, and focus in particular on the role of quality parameters or standards that define "organic agriculture" in the respective markets.

Qualitative interviews with farmers, traders and NGOs conducted in India in early 2017 suggest a contested understanding of "organic", and of sustainable agriculture in general. Through this presentation I offer a summary of the different conceptions in export and domestic AVC and highlight the possible conflicts and the synergies that arise out of these differences for SHF, with the ultimate goal being agricultural systems that ensure a more inclusive and sustainable agriculture.

I argue in conclusion that encouraging and legitimizing localized initiatives for sustainable agriculture and the various actors involved will not only benefit SHF and local communities but also contribute to the improvement of globally shared standards for sustainability in AVCs.