Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
to competitive localism, to introverted obsessions with 'heritage.'”52 An
emphasis on “local” has been used to justify xenophobia, elitism, and cul-
t u ra l exclusiv it y.
Furthermore, the elevation of “local” as the ideal space for food pro-
duction neglects many complex issues that affect the politics and social
life of local communities, such as national politics and environmental
h istor y.53 In the case of Kerala, the obsession with local food production
glosses over the multifaceted history of places like Wayanad, which has
experienced waves of migration, land use changes, and various forms of
political rule and government oversight. These factors have led to the
establishment of particular agrarian communities that have been con-
nected with export markets for decades, if not centuries, since the time of
Marco Polo. Growing spices for foreign trade is as traditional in Kerala as
is growing rice for local consumption.
A hunger strike dominated the national news and captivated those
in Kerala soon after the passing of the state's organic farming policy. On
April 5, 2011, Anna Hazare, an elderly social activist and self-described
Gandhian, launched a hunger strike in the capital of India, New Delhi.
His protest was stimulated by a series of corruption scandals that had
recently befallen the Congress-led national government, ranging from the
Telecommunications Minister's illegal sale of mobile phone frequency
licenses, to the disorganization surrounding the 2010 Commonwealth
Games and horrid reports of landgrabbing by government leaders for
personal use and business gain. Hazare insisted that he would not end
his fast until the government enacted stringent anticorruption legislation,
including the appointment of an ombudsman who would investigate al-
legations of fraud and perversion. Hazare's fast mobilized students and
protesters across the country and made headlines in most papers. A few
days later, the Indian government acquiesced to his demands and created
a commitee to look into such legislation.
Hazare's cause frequently came up in discussions I had with organic
farmers, especially because Kerala's own parliamentary elections took
place around the same time, in April 2011, almost a year after the final-
ization of the organic farming policy.54 Dayal jokingly told me during an
