Study title

Primary data was collected using recall surveys in S and E India from rice farmers, millers, transports and retailers. All data was collected using recall surveys between 2012 and 2013. In order to understand the costs and labour (minutes, pay and gender) required to produce 1kg of rice from field to shop, the following data was collected from each category: Farmers: the entire process of growing rice was mapped (cultivation, bund repair, seedbed preparation, sowing, transplanting, fertiliser, manure, pesticides, irrigation, weeding, harvest). For each process full costs and labour details (how many workers, casual/family/tied, gender, pay, working hours) were collected. Data required for the calculation of environmental impacts were also collected (greenhouse gas emissions, water use, energy use). In addition household/farm data was collected for the farmer (size of farm, irrigated/dryland, family details, education), as well as relevant capital data. Mill. In line with the process of collecting data for the farms, each step in the milling of rice was mapped, and onto this economic, labour and environmental data was collected. Transport. For a range of lorry sizes (ranging from interstate lorries to intra-urban three-wheelers) the following data was collected: capital and variable costs, labour requriements, labour pay, hours and gender, energy (fuel) requirements, and losses via spillage/wasteage. Retail. for a range of shop types (supermarket, informal retail and government ration shops) the following data was collected: size of shop, energy use, proportion of rice to total sale (allocated as proportion of profit), labour requirements, labour pay, hours and gender, costs, profit, and waste. Data was collected by a range of project partners and Research Assistants in local languages and translated into English. All analysis was done in English. Further details are available...