Sustainable Agricultural Business Model: Case Studies of Innovative Indian Farmers

Abstract

Agriculture and allied sectors are the mainstays of the Indian rural population and yet, the vast majority is still poor. The Indian government has introduced pro-farmer schemes and policies for their quality of life, but the improvement rate of their quality of life is still relatively slow. In this context, this paper presents a sustainable agricultural business model (SABM), which defines contexts, practices, and outcomes. This SABM is compared with the conventional agricultural business model (CABM). Innovative farmers were selected from different parts of India. Their practices are examined with key performance indicators (KPIs) regarding strategic focus, labor productivity, vital resources usage, soil maintenance, output quality, and revenue performance. Case study results suggest that farmers that adopt SABM are innovative and productive with a better quality of life. In contrast, those who follow CABM are characterized by relatively low productivity and continuous hardships. Lessons and implications, along with future study topics, are discussed.