Indian Farmers and Blockchain: Changing Paradigms of Equity Throughout our Sustainability Dialogues

When discussing sustainability and fair equity in agriculture, the focus often overlooks the plight of Indian farmers, particularly those with small landholdings. Annually, thousands of farmer suicides occur in India, highlighting a crisis often shadowed by concerns over organic certification. Moreover, the credibility of the information presented and the education on the necessity of transparency are critical. Blockchain technology addresses these issues by enhancing the transparency of the food value chain. Over 5.2 million QR codes have been printed on food items and cotton clothing, accessible to anyone globally, regardless of age, literacy, or technical prowess. Scanning these QR codes allows consumers to view complete details of the agricultural products, fostering trust through transparency. This initiative aims to encourage consumer support for such transparent practices and introduces farmers to digital tools, enhancing their engagement with technology. Our project with Sahyadri Farms in Nashik, which includes a live cotton-to-t-shirts initiative, underscores the importance of design in conveying accurate information creatively. This approach involved extensive customer surveys, field visits, consultations with design experts, and the development of frameworks. The insights and outcomes from this comprehensive project form the core of our paper.