Agritech Startups and Inclusion of Small-Scale Producers: Evidence from High-Value Chains in Karnataka, India

Sustainability of agriculture in several countries is frequently associated with inclusion and income of its small-scale producers. Linking farmers directly with consumers is considered as one way to overcome the income problem and in the past decade, India has witnessed a rise of agritech startups, especially those that aim to address this issue. Through a qualitative study in Bangalore Urban district of Karnataka, India and its neighbouring districts, we argue that agritech startup led high-value chains are inclusive for only selected small-scale producers and this is dependent on factors such as the firms’ business model, area of operations, crops cultivated by farmers, agricultural practices employed by them etc. Both agritech startups and farmers pursue their own goals that are often in conflict with each other and it is these goal incongruences that lead to exclusion of large share of small-scale producers from such value chains.