The Political Ecology of Food Sovereignty Movements in Neoliberal India

Abstract

This dissertation considers the role of localized alternative agricultural movements, such as those promoting "food sovereignty", in mitigating the impacts of neoliberal polices on poor rural regions in India. It uses a political ecology approach which combines a historical view of policies governing agriculture with a place-based study of local actors. It is based on 18 months of field work conducted in the semi-arid Telengana region of India. It finds that food sovereignty prescriptions based on localized, sustainable and subsistence agriculture do not resonate with most small farmers in rural Telengana and paradoxically constrain their chances of maintaining viable rural livelihoods in a harsh economic climate. Contrary to food sovereignty movements' claims that food sovereignty is essential for food security, this dissertation argues that for farmers to exercise "food sovereignty", they must first secure their livelihoods, which are determined not by their ability to opt out of the market economy, but rather by negotiating their position within it.