From Cultivators to Consumers Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness Corporations

The transformation of Indian agriculture since Green Revolution through Liberalization, Privatization, and Globalization LPG era has significantly redefined the role of farmers. Traditionally seen as cultivators rooted in indigenous knowledge and self reliant practices, farmers are increasingly positioned as consumers of agricultural knowledge and inputs produced by agribusiness corporations. This study analyses secondary data on agricultural production made available by the Government of India to examine the shifting trends in cropping patterns, input usage, and the growing influence of Agribusiness Corporations. The analysis reveals that the area under cultivation has declined for several traditional and less profitable crops while expanding for high value, profit oriented crops concentrated in irrigated regions. The seeds and inputs for these crops are largely supplied by Agribusiness Corporations through networks of Agri input dealers. The consumption of fertilizers and plant protection chemicals has risen sharply, making India one of the highest consumers per hectare globally, despite its yield remaining below the world average. Simultaneously, export oriented cropping patterns have contributed to environmental challenges, including increased methane emissions and worsening water stress. Crops with declining cultivation areas are increasingly being imported, despite their ecological sustainability. The data also highlight that small and marginal farmers, constituting about 86 of the total farming population, are disproportionately burdened by the rising cost of inputs, leading to deepening indebtedness and marginalization. Overall, the findings illustrate how Agribusiness Corporations have transformed farming into a loss making venture and turned cultivators into consumers of corporate products and knowledge. Saraswat Saurav Ramkumar "From Cultivators to Consumers: Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness Corporations" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-9 | Issue-5 , October 2025, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd97570.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/sociology/97570/from-cultivators-to-consumers-farmers-in-the-age-of-agribusiness-corporations/saraswat-saurav-ramkumar