Repairing the Metabolic Rift? Knowledge, Values and Visions of Development in the Agroecology Movement in Rayalaseema

Abstract

This thesis draws on case study research in Rayalaseema (Andhra Pradesh, India) to examine the role of the agroecology movement in repairing metabolic and epistemic rifts. The ‘metabolic rift’ is described as the disruption of natural ecological cycles due to the alienation of humans from one another, and from nature, in the process of colonization and industrialization (Foster, 1999; Moore, 2000). This is accompanied by an ‘epistemic rift’, or separation at the level of thought about nature and human economic activity (Schneider and McMichael, 2010). Together, the two rifts encompass not only the physical degradation of ecosystems, but also the ideological and cultural shifts that have enabled it. Conversely, addressing the metabolic rift requires a transformation not only of practice but of values, knowledge, social structures and conceptions of human development. Agroecology, as a form of sustainable agriculture that eschews synthetic chemical inputs, has been put forward as one way to do this. Beyond being a set of farming practices, advocates regard it as a social movement that entails a commitment to remolding relationships among humans and with nature, a grassroots participatory process of knowledge generation, and a new vision of development centered on social, epistemic and ecological justice.

The thesis enquires how and to what extent the Andhra Pradesh Community-managed Natural Farming (APCNF) program – one of the world’s largest state-sponsored agroecology programs – is succeeding in addressing the metabolic and epistemic rift, as defined above. More specifically, it examines what residents of Pandupally, a village undergoing agroecological transition in the drought-prone Rayalaseema region, value in their practice, their understandings of development and wellbeing, and how agroecology contributes towards these. It asks what enables and constrains transition to agroecology in the village of Pandupally, including the role of knowledge, caste, class and gender in this process.

The research adopts an ethnographic methodology, incorporating long-term fieldwork, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and policy analysis. It focuses on the experiences with agroecology of a diverse group of farmers in Pandupally, including Dalit and women farmer-leaders. The thesis centers farmer perspectives while also connecting them to an analysis of structures, analyzing these in relation to a historical account of socioecological and agrarian change in Rayalaseema. By so doing, the thesis highlights the epistemic struggles between industrial agricultural paradigms—rooted in chemical-intensive, high-yield production models—and agroecological knowledge systems that prioritize biodiversity, soil regeneration, and social justice.

My research confirmed that agroecology efforts carried out under the rubric of APCNF have helped to overcome metabolic and epistemic rifts for adopters, restoring soil fertility, strengthening household nutrition security, improving health, fostering greater autonomy, and offering opportunities for farmer-led knowledge production. However, very significant challenges remain in enabling widespread and sustained uptake. While a majority of households in Pandupally have experimented with some agroecological practices, many learned only a few practices and struggled with sustaining them, partly for lack of sufficient institutional or financial support. Many farmers who tried natural farming later went back to using agrochemicals while also continuing to apply some organic inputs for soil health. Structural inequalities in land ownership, entrenched caste hierarchies, and gendered labor burdens shape the extent to which farmers can successfully transition to agroecology. These issues also affected the ability of extension workers to aid farmers in their efforts to transition. A more nuanced understanding of what it means to empower women, especially Dalit women, is needed for working in the context of broader processes of feminization of agrarian distress. Underscoring the importance of addressing the epistemic rift, the thesis concludes by emphasizing the importance of more inclusive farmer-to-farmer learning networks, conscientization, and collectivization in agroecological scaling. This requires a reexamination of conceptions of relationships and values, to shift from competitive, individualistic conceptions to relationships of care, interconnectedness, and mutualism among humans and between humans and nature. Beyond a set of farming techniques, agroecological transformation is necessarily connected to a movement for rural social and ecological justice that goes beyond the purview of agriculture. Creating an enabling environment for more farmers to transition to agroecology will also require changes in the structure of subsidies, insurance, patterns of landholding, irrigation, markets, and institutional structures. This would require looking beyond the domain of agricultural policy alone to align many different policy domains towards rural socioecological wellbeing.

Date of Award	12 Nov 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Mihika Chatterjee (Supervisor), James Copestake (Supervisor), Richa Kumar (Supervisor) & Rosana Pinheiro Machado (Supervisor)