Resources, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Technology and Work in Production and Distribution Systems: Rice in India

HarrissWhite, Barbara (2018). Resources, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Technology and Work in Production and Distribution Systems: Rice in India. [Data Collection]. Colchester, Essex: UK Data Archive. 10.5255/UKDA-SN-851542

Informal economies are neglected in debates about climate change and the long-awaited materials revolution. This trans-disciplinary pilot project will develop methods to study the informal economy’s materiality. Methods: Uniting life-cycle analysis (from environmental science) with value chain/production system analysis (from management science and economics) and decent work criteria (from labour studies), it explores how capital, technology and labour are combined to produce commodities and GHGs. Multi-criteria analysis will then explore the costs and incommensurable trade-offs of technology lowering GHGs and improving livelihoods. Substance; CO2 (and possibly water) are chosen as indicators of materiality. The system of rice production and distribution is selected since the research team is familiar with its complexity. Evidence;Data will be collected from semi-arid tropical regions. Four production technologies will be stylised, for large and small units (high yield varieties, systems of rice intensification, ‘labelled’ organic rice and rainfed rice); and four distribution channels (informal distribution, partially regulated markets, supermarket supply chains and the state’s public distribution systems). Outreach: The project engages with stakeholders and communicates its results globally. Its intended impact is on uptake and on further applications.

Data description (abstract)

Primary data was collected using recall surveys in S and E India from rice farmers, millers, transports and retailers. All data was collected using recall surveys between 2012 and 2013. In order to understand the costs and labour (minutes, pay and gender) required to produce 1kg of rice from field to shop, the following data was collected from each category: Farmers: the entire process of growing rice was mapped (cultivation, bund repair, seedbed preparation, sowing, transplanting, fertiliser, manure, pesticides, irrigation, weeding, harvest). For each process full costs and labour details (how many workers, casual/family/tied, gender, pay, working hours) were collected. Data required for the calculation of environmental impacts were also collected (greenhouse gas emissions, water use, energy use). In addition household/farm data was collected for the farmer (size of farm, irrigated/dryland, family details, education), as well as relevant capital data. Mill. In line with the process of collecting data for the farms, each step in the milling of rice was mapped, and onto this economic, labour and environmental data was collected. Transport. For a range of lorry sizes (ranging from interstate lorries to intra-urban three-wheelers) the following data was collected: capital and variable costs, labour requriements, labour pay, hours and gender, energy (fuel) requirements, and losses via spillage/wasteage. Retail. for a range of shop types (supermarket, informal retail and government ration shops) the following data was collected: size of shop, energy use, proportion of rice to total sale (allocated as proportion of profit), labour requirements, labour pay, hours and gender, costs, profit, and waste. Data was collected by a range of project partners and Research Assistants in local languages and translated into English. All analysis was done in English. Further details are available from:http://www.southasia.ox.ac.uk/resources-greenhouse-gases-technology-and-jobs-indias-informal-economy-case-rice (available via the related resources).

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