STUDY OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND CONTRACT FARMING CHALLENGES IN MARATHWADA REGION

This article addresses the relationship between climate change and contract farming, focusing on its growing prevalence in Marathwada region. The expansion of contract farming in these areas has sparked divided and often ideological discussions in academic literature. A prevailing microeconomic viewpoint suggests that contract farming can be mutually beneficial for both agribusinesses and smallholder farmers. However, this perspective tends to overlook the exploitation experienced by rural households. Existing research fails to adequately consider the broader agricultural landscapes in which contract farming takes place. There is limited understanding of how different households, situated in diverse contexts, participate in contract farming, and how this impacts their future livelihoods. This article challenges conventional perspectives by critically examining contract farming, rural livelihoods, and agricultural transformation in the Marathwada district. The central research question explores: How is contract farming implemented in Marathwada region, and what are its implications for patterns of benefits and disadvantages?