In this Working Paper, ISS visiting fellow C. Sathyamala and researcher Somjita Laha write about their research into the digitalization of the agriculture sector in India and its consequences for food security.
India’s historical experience with food scarcity, famines and inadequate production during the colonial period has made food security a key concern. In post-independence India, food security was adopted as a social policy in the planning of the state, which played a major role in the country’s economy.
From 2010 onwards the country began to transition towards a digital welfare state as several of the social welfare programmes, including food security programmes, were digitalized.
In this Working Paper C. Sathyamala and researcher Somjita Laha examine the digitalization of the agriculture sector and its consequences for the food security of both producers and consumers from marginal households.
They ask:
- To what extent have food assistance and social welfare practices been digitalized, and why?
- What are the key organizations, authorities and businesses involved?
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The paper is part of an ESRC-funded study (Economic Social Research Council; UKRI 2023) on ‘Digitalising Food Assistance: Political economy, governance and food security effects across the global North–South divide’. India is one of the three case study countries; the others are Sudan and the UK.