Authors: Sowmiya Asokan, Asst. Prof Nisha Pakkirisamy, Boomija, Rekha Ramu, Nivetha Paramasivam, Dharshini Rajan
Abstract: The convergence of climate change, agricultural vulnerability, and rural livelihoods presents one of the most pressing policy challenges of the twenty-first century. The research identifies a fundamental tension between externally-driven definitions of 'improved agricultural production' which typically privilege yield maximization and technology adoption and the farmer-centric conceptions of improvement that emphasize ecological stewardship, intergenerational land tenure, and community resilience. It further argues that climate finance conditionality mechanisms systematically disadvantage marginal and small landholders, reproducing existing agrarian inequalities rather than transforming them. The methodology employed is a systematic theoretical literature review combined with critical policy analysis. Key findings suggest that: (1) climate finance instruments available to Tamil Nadu delta farmers are predominantly supply-driven and lack adequate procedural justice mechanisms; (2) the capabilities of delta farmers are asymmetrically expanded by available climate finance, systematically favoring larger landholders and technology-adopting farmers over subsistence-oriented ones; (3) farmer ethical frameworks, rooted in intergenerational stewardship and water-sharing norms, diverge significantly from the productivist assumptions embedded in policy; and (4) the definition of 'improved agricultural production' as operationalized in policy discourse inadequately captures the complex, context- specific values of delta farming communities. The study concludes with recommendations for reforming climate finance delivery mechanisms to incorporate participatory design, farmer-led innovation systems, and justice-sensitive conditionality criteria. It contributes original insights to both the climate finance literature and the emerging field of agricultural ethics, with specific policy implications for Tamil Nadu, India, and comparable deltaic agricultural contexts globally.
