Day #21: Local Markets - The New emergence...

9th April 2020:  Across India and the world something not imagined even a few months are weeks ago has  started to happen - collectives are formed which are directly reaching farm produce, picked up from the farmers, to the consumers. Partha, one of the Organic  farming role models of Tamilnadu has posted from his village outside the city of Chennai how the local produce is consumed locally and farmers are happy to sell their produce in the local markets. Another friends from a village outside Madurai informed me couple of days ago informed how people go in search of dairy farmers in the village or neighbouring village and getting their milk supply as well.  While smaller farmers and farm produce can be locally re-distributed evolving the lowest food mile and creating an ideal world, others who have bigger land holding and more farm produce need to find more organized solutions. Here are a few that I have noticed in the recent days or those that friends have shared with me. 

Model #1 - Governments ties up with civil society to procure and distributes perishables locally: In Tamilnadu, the Agricultural Produce Marketing Commissioner and several civil society players have joined hand in about 5 districts to procure farm produce directly from Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and groups to directly door deliver the vegetables and fruits to the consumers in major cities and towns, particularly in apartment buildings and complexes. Collectors of Theni, Chennai Krishnagiri, Madurai, Tiruvallur and some other districts are already doing the farm-to-doorstep delivery of vegetables and fruits (link). Some other districts are getting the vegetables packaged in pre-determined mix and the same is given as a bag to the consumers. 

Model #2 - Government procures and distributes fixed value perishable locally: In Ooty, the District Collectorate has started to distribute mixed bag of vegetables for Rs. 150/- and as per reports, this seems to be a big hit among consumers. Vegetables and fruits that didn't make it to far away markets due to the lock down are now getting locally consumed thanks to such novel ventures being tried out by the horticultural department. 

Model #3 - Government ties up with farmer collectives to procure and distribute all commodities locally: While this is happening across the state, the small district of Theni (link) has gone one step further and decided to door deliver provisions and meat as well. They have set-up whatsapp numbers through which people can order Rs.2000 worth of provisions and the same  is door delivered and similarly if consumer want to place an order of meat, the same is door delivered as well. 

Model #4 - Government and civil society enables farmer collectives to access the local market through direct distribution route: In the town of Satara, one such example has been cited (link) where farmer's collective, local administration and civil society members are coming together to reach farm produce directly to consumers. "Corona is making all of us reflect and bring in systems which are for the benefit of the citizens. I think we should not wait for the next virus to again set up such systems. Instead we should continue with the arrangements we have discovered this time so that we are prepared for the next pandemic," said Sanchit Dhumal, deputy chief officer and head of the health department at the municipal council.

Model #5 - Farming Enthusiastic Civil Society initiated model of farm-to-door: Several models exist in this, Alladi Mahadevan, who himself is a farmer is helping large farmers with commercial cultivation who suffer the most due to the  logistic break-down, is mobilizing farmers and young volunteers to directly door deliver the produce within the city of Chennai (link).  Another group called the Farmer Friendly Initiative, FFI has openly advertised to make available food for the most vulnerable in the city through their networks. 

Model #6 - Individual Farmer / Entrepreneur offering to help market Organic Farmers to nearby markets: KSR Dinesh is a young organic farming enthusiast in Pondichery who has managed to procure most of the needs of the local community locally, and if not available locally from other sources and  in the process facilitate evolution of a local procurement and marketing almost single handed. While the area and the size of the market he services is small, it means much if one were to consider the land holding size in Tamilnadu.  

Online Communication: Interestingly while the government initiatives can command the resources of the government and its capacity to reach out to the market through the media, the civil society and individual initiatives have largely used the social media platform for not only reaching out to the markets, but, also soliciting help, volunteers, transportation, etc.,

Local Markets going online in the USA: Local Markets using on-line platform to reach their consumers seems to be an universal phenomena, the same is happening across the USA just now as local farmer's markets that people cannot visit due to social distancing seem to be taking orders online and reaching the produce to the door step of the consumers (link).  

Each of these initiatives (and many more I am sure), all indicates one of the most significant shift globally. The re-construction of the idea of market as a whole. For the first time farmers are getting to experience that there is  a local market and perhaps reaching to the consumer directly could be more profitable than going through the procurement centre - trader - commission agent - wholesaler - retailer route. While this was always known, the facilitating agencies, competency, lack of facilitation by the government agencies, inadequate patronizing and support, non availability of credit, were some of the factors that deterred such an emergence to happen. Now that it has started, the challenge will be to systemize this so as to ensure that the benefit derived for the farmer is not short term and becomes a sustainable model. 

The city of Amsterdam seems to have taken a major step in such a systemic change that they have initiated. By adopting a system called the Doughnut Economy model, they are trying to ensure that the minimum requirements are met locally (link).  This will be eagerly watched in the coming days by others aspiring for a systemic change. Reviving local markets bring out respect to traditional knowledge, local wisdom and solidarity among the local community.  Already across the world, scholars and policy makers are getting interested to learn from local communities, for instance the pastoral communities in Europe are being studied for their native wisdom in handling such situations.  

 The urban centric jobs, whether it be the real estate or IT or export oriented industries, logistic or service sector don't have much clue as to when the sector will improve and if there are jobs in the coming months at all.  But, rural India with still a large section of people employed in the farm sector and its capacity to absorb more, there is no dearth of jobs that can be created in with some imagination and efforts, all these models of local markets are part of the new institutional emergence.