Farming Futures: Emerging Social Enterprises in India

A unique collection of 15 contemporary case studies documenting in detail social enterprises in agriculture, Farming Futures: Emerging Social Enterprises in India, edited by Ajit Kanitkar and C. Shambu Prasad showcases the emergence of an entrepreneurial route to solve India’s deep-rooted agrarian crisis. The case studies chart the exciting journeys and tribulations in matching purpose and profit, often with a deep concern for the planet’s future.

Written by experienced researchers, academics, and development professionals, the case studies span a wide range of agri-sector issues. They present a hope for farming futures for first-generation entrepreneurs, predominantly from non-agriculture backgrounds, by demonstrating the viability of farm enterprises. These include innovations in providing more efficient and non-exploitative linkages to markets and consumers, providing affordable aids and equipment for farming, and reducing the information asymmetry which farmers have when dealing with the market.

The case studies also show how beyond the journeys of the entrepreneurs and their enterprises there are significant ecosystem issues that remain unaddressed. The government of India’s thrust on entrepreneurship and innovation, Ease of Doing Business, Make In India, and the announcement of a social stock exchange in the Union Budget 2019, would need an inclusive, and rural turn, for a comprehensive agricultural revival. These social enterprises provide key insights for transforming agriculture.