Impact of neoliberalism on the socioeconomic life and food system of Kondh tribes of Rayagada, Odisha

Abstract

The paper focuses on how the neoliberal economy is changing the agriculture and traditional food system of the Kondh tribes of Odisha, India. As Kondhs’ culture and the ritual system moves around agriculture, its increasing commercialization has led to changes in the larger socioeconomic structure. The paper discusses the immediate impacts of neoliberalism on the Kondhs’ youths and rising materialism. Widespread cultivation of Bt. Cotton and GM seeds in the region are one of the ways to trace the impact of the neoliberal market system. Most commercial exchanges performed by Kondhs and nontribal middlemen are a site for multiple negotiations and terms for trading, in which Kondhs most loose, both ecologically and economically. The paper uses ethnographic data and experiences to discuss socioeconomic distress among Kondhs, changing from barter to a cash system. It concludes by discussing if local NGOs and food movements can become a solution.