Investigating the obstacles to functioning of humanitarian systems for indemnifying farmer's income

Purpose The study examines the production, operational, technological, environmental, economic and financial risks affecting agribusinesses. The primary objective is to identify and prioritise the barriers to the humanitarian system's operational dynamics that focus on indemnifying the farmers' income in India. Design/methodology/approach The integrated interpretive structural modelling (ISM)-fuzzy analytical network process (FANP) approach systematically analyses the dynamic interrelationships among barriers, offering a comprehensive framework for agribusiness risk management. The barriers are identified by synthesising literature with the PSALSAR framework. The 18 barriers are clustered into five groups based on phases: planning, designing, execution, implementation and disbursement. The ISM constructs structural hierarchies to identify the interactions among these barriers, while FANP quantifies and establishes the interlinkages between them. Findings The proposed model's results reveal that “Skewed Stakeholder Engagement and Data-Deficient Ecosystem” are the most severe barriers to the humanitarian system's operational dynamics. By highlighting the significance of these obstacles, the study contributes to a targeted approach for optimizing resource allocation and enhancing the resilience of humanitarian operations. Research limitations/implications Findings enable decision-makers to design more effective interventions and improve operational workflows, particularly essential in contexts with limited resources and pressing time constraints. The study suggests collaboration between humanitarian organisations, governments and stakeholders in developing strategies for addressing barriers. Originality/value The study investigates barriers to the dynamic settings of humanitarian operations within the agricultural sector. The research employs a novel approach to analysing the barriers across the various phases of the humanitarian system operating in distinct political, environmental and social settings.