Sustainable agriculture aims to meet current and future societal needs while protecting environmental resources. However, the transition must also confront deeply entrenched social inequities in India around labor rights, land access, and economic distribution. This paper analyzes these three dimensions of social equity, examining conditions faced by small, marginalized farmers and landless wage laborers. Challenges like low wages, informal work, child labor, gender inequality in land ownership, market consolidation, and low crop prices are outlined. Potential policy solutions such as tenancy reforms, cooperatives, and strengthened local food systems are discussed. Ensuring dignified livelihoods, inclusive resource rights, and balanced value distribution is imperative for just, resilient food systems. But uprooting structural inequality requires centering marginalized voices in agroecology efforts. The paper provides background on key equity issues to inform such discourse on sustainable agriculture in India.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/economy/over-50-of-rural-households-in-india-have-no-land-survey-77864
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/rs-250-a-day-the-minimum-wage-an-indian-farm-worker-is-entitled-to-83818