Not all farmers are the same – Analysing the agricultural policy landscape of India for climate change adaptation planning

Abstract

Pervasive heterogeneity exists among farmers, shaped by geographical, biophysical, socio-economic, demographic, and cultural factors. This diversity is especially pronounced in India, where between 100 and 150 million farmers operate across diverse agro-ecological zones and socio-cultural contexts. As the impacts of climate-induced risks are socially and spatially differentiated, farmers' adaptation needs – the actions required and resources needed to respond effectively - are equally diverse. Planned adaptation must therefore be responsive to this diversity to be effective and inclusive. This paper aims to deconstruct farmers' definition and explores if and how farmer diversity is accounted for within 14 selected climate change, agriculture and farmer-centric policies for India. A farmer diversity framework was developed with 16 factors to access the selected policies' recognition of and engagement with farmer diversity. Quantitative textual analysis and qualitative thematic coding methods of content analysis are used to review and interpret the selected documents. The results reveal that policies commonly recognise farmer diversity through discrete, single-axis classifications based on landholding size, caste, and gender, while factors such as disability, migration status, and family size receive little to no policy attention. Existing adaptation provisions largely focus on increasing agricultural productivity and profitability, engaging primarily with farmers' economic needs and overlooking the diverse and intersecting social, cultural, and structural conditions that shape farmers' adaptive capacity. The paper argues that moving beyond single-axis farmer categories towards an intersectional engagement with farmers' identities is essential to plan and support meaningful, equitable adaptation outcomes for all farmers.