Contribution short abstract:

The proposed paper explores the root cause of the historic farmers in the heartland of the green revolution region. Through a study of Bayer and its partners, it argues that the systemic impact of agri-business has led to changing class dynamics within the region and its politics.

Contribution long abstract:

The proposed paper is based on the results of a study about the strategies of penetration and expansion of the pesticide giant, Bayer International in Karnal District of Haryana. It is worth noting that the study area has been the heartland of green revolution and a hub of agricultural research since the 1970s. It was also the nerve centre of the historic farmers' protests and therefore serves as a good barometer to gauge the impact of the penetration of agribusiness on agrarian relations. Through field research conducted in the course of July-December 2020, we focus on the processes that have led to the development of Global Agricultural Value Systems in agricultural inputs. The focus on Bayer International shows that hegemonic discourse of 'integrated farming solutions' used to establish dominance over backward and forward linkages. This had severe adverse environmental, health, economic and social impact on the farmers and agricultural workers, and increased their dependence on corporate capital. This development needs to be seen in the context of policy, especially in the wake of the ascendency of neoliberal economic policies, the withdrawal of the state and third generation of policy reforms represented by the farm laws, against which the protests were directed. The systemic impact of these developments led to a wider alliance between all classes of peasants and agricultural workers and sustained the protests. This paper illustrates how larger macro-economic changes altered agrarian politics within this green revolution heartland.