Sugar is one of the most important ingredients in a lot of the food consumed in India today. Even traditionally, the cultivation and consumption of sugarcane has shaped the livelihoods of millions dependent on it and this continues to be norm in the 21st century.
“Between the early-sixties and the mid-nineties, sugar consumption rose from about 2.6 million tonnes to about 13.0 million tonnes. During this period, annual per caput consumption increased from 5.3 kg to more than 14.0 kg.”
-Food and Agricultural Organisation
While traditionally, consumption of sugar was in the form of gur or khandsari, the dynamic saccharide has now become ubiquitous in the market place.
Where does sugar come from?
A majority of the sugarcane in India comes from Uttar Pradesh, which singularly accounts for almost half of the India’s sugar cane production. 2.54 million hectares of land in UP is currently being used for the cultivation of sugar cane (an increase of 12% from 2016-17). 37 lakh farmers and 2.96 crore farm workers contribute to the massive production process directly and the sum total of the persons dependent on sugar production comes up to 5.56 crore, in the state of Uttar Pradesh alone.
Understanding the sugar production process
When a production of a good has millions of dependents on it, it becomes a societal moral imperative to ensure both, economic and social justice in the production process. Of the farmers in Uttar Pradesh, a majority of those dependent on sugarcane farming are small and marginal farmers. A recent Oxfam study found that for these farmers the cultivation of the crop is their primary source of income, and that 67% of marginal and 95% of small farmers rely on its production and sale to maintain their livelihoods.
It is in this context that, we analyse the sugarcane supply chain.
Structural problems
When we look at the nature of the problem we find that they are extremely structural, in that they are ingrained at various steps of the production process. Cane societies, that are responsible to forecast the production of sugar cane, are often understaffed thus affecting the forecasting process. For example, the production for the year 2017-18 was estimated at 353.22 MMT but post production harvest reaching up to 395 MMT due to a favourable monsoon and use of high yielding varieties of cane.
As high as 60% of farmers complain that their supply tickets quota is usually less than their actual produce by up to 150-220 quintals. This too, they claim, is a result of faulty surveys that cause them an economic loss of Rupees 48,000 to 72,000 per farmer, every year.
As a result, of the inaccuracies and delays in the supply of tickets 70% - 90% of the farmers, interviewed during the study said that they are often forced to sell the cane to local jaggery producing units at a lower price.
At the point of sale to the mills, 90% of the farmers interviewed said that had faced unfair weighing at the mills gates and collection centres, with 70% saying that even after the transaction; it took them nearly a year to receive their payments.
Beyond the farmers: Gender inequities and Child Labour
A look at farm workers through the lens of gender, shows that while male workers collect the minimum wage or an amount that is marginally better, women workers doing the same work are consistently paid below the minimum wage.
As high as 81% of farm workers are only being paid their daily wage 10-15 days after work. This adds to the burden of women workers who already receive a wage below the minimum.
Sugarcane farmers quite often employs children for work. These children are brought in from states like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh to work in the fields, often with withheld or against advance paid to their families. Incidents of some farmers specifically recruiting children, due to their pliability and scope for exploitation, are also found prevalent.
Contextualising the waiver
Recently Uttar Pradesh government announced farm loan waivers with a Rs. 32,000 crore waiver being announced for all farm loans under 1 lakh. No doubt, this may seem like a temporary solution to the problem, but often times it does little to mitigate the structural problems with the sugar production process.
The problem with the waiver is that it continues to target farmers (and not agricultural labour) , instead of trying to resolve the larger injustices taking place in agriculture, and will continue to help certain large farmers, while excluding several small farmers for whom waiver amounts have been as low as 1 Rupee.
Dealing with the economic and social injustices in this production process, will take a lot more than a waiver, and will require the combined efforts of farmers, labour, the government and the private sector purchasing this sugar in bulk for use in their products. Until such a holistic approach is adopted, women, labourers and farmers, all run the risk of being caught in mire of a flawed and unjust production process.
Photo by Pooja Adhikari
We engage with businesses to co-create market-based solutions to end inequality
Read MoreMay 30, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 31, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 30, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 2, 2023 | Savvy
Jan 17, 2023 | Savvy
Mar 9, 2023 | Savvy
Dec 23, 2022 | Savvy
Dec 2, 2022 | Savvy
Nov 28, 2022 |
Nov 22, 2022 | Savvy
Nov 14, 2022 | Savvy
Oct 31, 2022 | mahika@oxfamindia.org
Oct 3, 2022 | Savvy
Sep 15, 2022 | Savvy
Aug 12, 2022 | Savvy
Aug 9, 2022 | Savvy
Jun 29, 2022 | Savvy
Jun 29, 2022 | Savvy
May 30, 2022 | Savvy
May 30, 2022 | Savvy
May 5, 2022 | Savvy
May 26, 2022 | Savvy
Mar 21, 2022 | Savvy
Feb 20, 2022 | Savvy
Feb 16, 2022 | Savvy
Jan 25, 2022 | Savvy
Jan 13, 2022 | Savvy
Jan 9, 2022 | Savvy
Dec 31, 2021 | Savvy
Jan 17, 2022 | Savvy
Dec 17, 2021 | admin
Dec 16, 2021 | Savvy
Dec 14, 2021 | Savvy
Feb 28, 2022 | Savvy
Oct 15, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 12, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 10, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 10, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 8, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 6, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 4, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 29, 2021 | Savvy
Oct 10, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 16, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 5, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 1, 2021 | Savvy
Sep 15, 2021 | Savvy
Aug 7, 2021 | Savvy
Jul 23, 2021 | Savvy
Jul 7, 2021 | Savvy
Jun 4, 2021 | Savvy
May 17, 2021 | Savvy
Jun 7, 2021 | Savvy
Apr 15, 2021 | Savvy
Apr 9, 2021 | Savvy
Apr 1, 2021 | Anisha
Mar 14, 2021 | Savvy
Mar 12, 2021 | Savvy
Mar 2, 2021 | Savvy
Feb 19, 2021 | Savvy
Feb 14, 2021 | Savvy
Jan 12, 2021 | Savvy
Jan 12, 2021 | Savvy
Dec 23, 2020 | Savvy
Dec 3, 2020 | Savvy
Jan 4, 2021 | radhika
Apr 1, 2021 | radhika
Dec 23, 2020 | radhika
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | Savvy
Aug 25, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | radhika
Aug 9, 2020 | Savvy
Aug 5, 2020 | Savvy
Aug 21, 2020 | radhika
Aug 4, 2020 | Savvy
Sep 30, 2020 | radhika
Sep 30, 2020 | radhika
Aug 1, 2020 | Savvy
Jul 17, 2020 | Savvy
Jul 15, 2020 | Savvy
Mar 5, 2021 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | radhika
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 |
Jun 30, 2020 | radhika
Jun 24, 2020 |
Jun 24, 2020 |
Jun 30, 2020 |
Jun 15, 2021 |
Jun 30, 2020 | Savvy
Jun 30, 2020 | radhika
Jul 29, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
Jul 29, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | Savvy
May 28, 2020 | Savvy
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 |
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 | Animesh Prakash
May 31, 2020 | radhika
May 31, 2020 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | Anisha
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Jun 3, 2020 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Oct 23, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Oct 9, 2019 | radhika
Oct 9, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Sep 25, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Sep 25, 2019 | radhika
Sep 25, 2019 | radhika
Nov 21, 2019 | radhika
Sep 19, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Feb 20, 2020 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | Anisha
Aug 19, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Aug 1, 2019 | radhika
Jul 31, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | radhika
Dec 5, 2019 | radhika
Jun 27, 2019 | radhika
Jun 19, 2019 | radhika
Dec 18, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | Anisha
Jun 19, 2019 | Anisha
Dec 18, 2019 | Anisha
May 27, 2019 | sanya
May 24, 2019 | Anisha
Jul 23, 2020 | ursila
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
Sep 9, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
May 13, 2019 | ursila
Sep 30, 2019 | ursila
Sep 19, 2022 | ursila
Sep 10, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Feb 20, 2020 | ursila
Nov 11, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 | ursila
Jun 3, 2020 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
May 31, 2020 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Feb 20, 2020 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Sep 23, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 31, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | ursila
Feb 20, 2020 | admin
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | admin
Sep 9, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | admin
Oct 7, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Apr 5, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Oct 7, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | admin
Apr 5, 2019 | admin
Sep 27, 2019 | admin
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 12, 2022 | admin
Apr 5, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 30, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Apr 5, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 |
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 1, 2019 | ursila
Nov 14, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 9, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Nov 21, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Sep 20, 2022 | Anisha
Nov 11, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 30, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 | ursila
Oct 30, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 1, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Sep 27, 2019 | ursila
Nov 18, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Sep 10, 2019 | ursila
Oct 7, 2019 | ursila
Nov 11, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | ursila
Nov 11, 2019 | ursila
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | Ravi
Oct 1, 2019 | Ravi
Sep 27, 2019 | Ravi
Oct 7, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | Anisha
Sep 10, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 7, 2019 | Ravi
Sep 27, 2019 | Ravi
Dec 5, 2019 | Anisha
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Jan 9, 2020 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 10, 2019 | Avantika
Nov 18, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 9, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 9, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 27, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 27, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 10, 2019 | Avantika
May 13, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Apr 5, 2019 | Avantika
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | Avantika
Nov 14, 2019 | Avantika
Sep 27, 2019 | Ravi
Oct 24, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
May 27, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jun 12, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 3, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 18, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 18, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 6, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 16, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 18, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Feb 20, 2020 | ursila
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 21, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 15, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 16, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 18, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | Avantika
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Jan 9, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Feb 20, 2020 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 3, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 16, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Apr 5, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 3, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Dec 5, 2019 |
Nov 18, 2019 |
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 9, 2019 |
Oct 7, 2019 |
Oct 24, 2019 |
Sep 27, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Nov 15, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Sep 10, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 7, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 1, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 30, 2019 | oxfamadmin
Oct 24, 2019 | oxfamadmin