Culture matters. Ever since the global north took to exploration and international trade, traditional institutions within the global south have been seen as ‘backwards’ and as such have been ignored and replaced by western and modern institutions.

The transformation of the rice industry into a modern, mechanical, chemical, and large-scale production system has introduced a variety of challenges for farmers, including the destruction of local food systems and increased vulnerability of monocultures.

NISTPASS highlights a number of these

1. Necessary involvement of farm machinery
2. Chemical input agriculture and reliance on fertilizer
3. Sharecropping of farmers, who must renew their seed licenses each year
4. Increased vulnerabilities to pests due to monoculture production