Social Entrepreneurs Reforming Agriculture Sector: A Solution to Feed the World

Abstract

Global report on food crises (2017) states that nearly 124 million populations across 51 countries and territories faced acute food insecurity, which was108 million across 48 countries in 2016. The agriculture sector in India is losing its dominance in contribution towards GDP, Exports, and employment continuously since 1951. Agriculture sector’s share in GDP, exports and in employment generation in the Indian economy is showing declining trends. It is high time to deal with these issues with some innovative ways. UN report posits that by 2050 worldwide demand for food is likely to increase by 70% and resource-intensive industrial farming cannot meet that demand. A clear solution is Smallholder farmers feed 80% of the developing world, but smallholder production can still be massively improved, and if smallholders get the right support, here comes role of social entrepreneurship, with their innovative way of handling these issues they are reforming by way of farming for smallholders. A multinational organisation eKutir and its subsidiary are taken as a case for the study. The paper is based on secondary data, and we found that how eKutir with its backward and forward linkage model with the use of technology is bringing change in the life of millions of smallholder farmers. Through its different projects, it is creating and improving only economic value for the smallholders but also creating social value for the society in large.