Labour migration in Indian agriculture: Patterns, drivers and consequences—A systematic review

R Gowri Shankar; A Malaisamy; M Balasubramaniam; T Ragavan; K Prabakaran; R Balaji; P Arunachalam; B Sivasankari

doi:10.14719/pst.6109

Authors

Gowri Shankar R Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai 625 104, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4188-8311
Malaisamy A Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai 625 104, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8822-6714
Balasubramaniam M Division of Agricultural Economics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0065-0885
Ragavan T Department of Agronomy, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai-625 104, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7053-9709
Prabakaran K Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai 625 104, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8901-0907
Balaji R Department of Agricultural and Rural Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0338-2206
Arunachalam P Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai 625 104, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5359-811X
Sivasankari B Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai 625 104, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9921-8170

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6109

Keywords:

agriculture, labour migration, livelihood security, PRISMA framework, rural studies

Abstract

Approximately 45 % of the global population resides in rural areas, where agriculture, including livestock, accounts for 28 % of worldwide employment. Despite these notable figures, substantial structural shifts have occurred in the agricultural sector in recent decades, influencing employment and labour dynamics. Rapidly growing economies, such as India, are anticipated to witness an increasing disparity in living standards between rural and urban areas, resulting in heightened migration from rural to urban regions. In India, labour migration is significantly influenced by social structures and development patterns. Uneven development, intensified by factors like unemployment, low rural wages, agricultural challenges, insufficient industrial support, poverty, limited job opportunities and natural disasters, is the primary driver behind migration. This paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the current literature, presenting a systematic review and thematic analysis of the evolving landscape of agricultural labour migration. It examines the drivers, challenges and socioeconomic impacts of migration, addressing aspects like the feminization of agriculture, diverse types of agricultural migration, the role of technology and the impact of government policies on employment. The study emphasizes the importance of future policy considerations in this domain.

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