A study on the impact of agricultural mechanization and practices of traditional knowledge in agriculture in jhenaidah district, Bangladesh

Md. Ashif Hasan Razu; Md. Faruk Shah; Muhammad Bayezid Husain

doi:10.31893/humanitj.2025002

Keywords:

agricultural mechanization

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of agricultural mechanization and traditional agricultural knowledge on the agrarian community in a village situated in Jhenaidah District, utilizing Eric Wolf’s peasant ecotypes theory and the Cultural Lag Theory developed by William F. Ogburn. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, combining primary data from fieldwork and enthnographic interviews along with secondary data from literature reviews. The theoretical framework in shaped by paleotechnic ecotypes, characterized by traditional labor-intensive practices, and neotechnic ecotypes, marked by modern, technology-driven systems. The findings indicate that farmers are struggling to fully adopt and effectively utilize modern agricultural technologies, remaining partially tethered to traditional farming practices. This dichotomy has created a state of cultural conflict, hindering agricultural development. Moreover, findings reveal a significant shift from traditional to modern agricultural practices over the years, driven by governmental policies and market forces. While mechanization has increased productivity and efficiency, it has also escalated production costs and introduced market dependencies. Furthermore, mechanization has altered labor dynamics, reducing the reliance on human labor, particularly marginalizing women’s traditional roles. Despite these changes, farmers continue to integrate traditional knowledge into modern practices, demonstrating resilience and adaptability. This study investigates a subtle understanding of the cultural transformations in rural agriculture, providing insights for future rural development strategies.
References
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9. Granot, E., Brashear, T. G., & Motta, P. C. (2012). A structural guide to in‐depth interviewing in business and industrial marketing research. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 27(7), 547-553. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858621211257310
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25. Sillitoe, P. (2006). Indigenous knowledge in development. Anthropology in Action, 13(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2006.130302
26. Simone Sala, & Stefano Bocchi. (2014). Green revolution impacts in Bangladesh: Exploring adaptation pathways for enhancing national food security. Climate and Development, 6(3), 238-255. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2014.886988
27. Singh, V. (2024). Agriculture and food resources. In Textbook of environment and ecology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8846-4_10
28. Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview (pp. 57–68). Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
29. Ullah, M. D. R. (2024). NGOs’ role in sustaining indigenous knowledge in rural Bangladesh: Agriculture, healthcare, and disaster management. South Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(1), 79–102. https://doi.org/10.48165/sajssh.2024.5106
30. Wohab. (2012). Status of agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh. International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Asia Division, Bangladesh. https://un-csam.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/bd_0.pdf
31. Wolf, E. R. (1966). Peasants (pp. 55-70). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Razu, M. A. H., Md. Faruk Shah, & Muhammad Bayezid Husain. (2024). A study on the impact of agricultural mechanization and practices of traditional knowledge in agriculture in jhenaidah district, Bangladesh. Humanities Journal, 2(1), 2025002. https://doi.org/10.31893/humanitj.2025002

[1] Ahmed, K. (1965). Agriculture in East Pakistan. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Polwel Printing Press.

[2] Alim, A. (1974). An introduction to Bangladesh agriculture. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Swadesh Printing Press.

[3] American Anthropological Association (AAA). (2012). Principles of professional responsibility. American Anthropological Association. Retrieved from https://www.americananthro.org

[4] Bernard, H. R. (2017). Research methods in anthropology: Qualitative and quantitative approaches (6th ed., pp. 210–225, 300–315). Rowman & Littlefield.

[5] Clarke, L. (1997). Strategies for agricultural mechanization development: The role of the private sector and the government. Rome, Italy: AGST, FAO.

[6] DeWalt, K. M., & DeWalt, B. R. (2011). Participant observation: A guide for fieldworkers (2nd ed., pp. 85–90). Rowman & Littlefield.

[7] Foster, G. M. (1962). Traditional culture and the impact of technological change. New York, NY: Harper.

[8] Fuad, M. A. F., & Flora, U. M. A. (2019). Farm mechanization in Bangladesh: A review. International Journal of Research in Business Studies and Management, 6(9), 15-29. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369245387_Farm_mechanization_in_Bangladesh_a_Review

[9] Granot, E., Brashear, T. G., & Motta, P. C. (2012). A structural guide to in‐depth interviewing in business and industrial marketing research. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 27(7), 547-553. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858621211257310

[10] Hossain, M. (2009). Shallow tubewells, boro rice, and their impact on food security in Bangladesh (No. 00917), 2020 Vision Initiative. Washington, DC. [Google Scholar].

[11] Hossen, M. A. (2019). Mechanization in Bangladesh: Way of modernization in agriculture. International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology, 67(9), 69-77. https://doi.org/10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V67I9P212

[12] Islam, A. K. M. S., Rahman, M. A., Rahman, A. K. M. L., Islam, M. T., & Rahman, M. I. (2016). Techno-economic performance of 4-row self-propelled mechanical rice transplanter at farmers' field in Bangladesh. Progressive Agriculture, 27(3), 369-382. https://doi.org/10.3329/pa.v27i3.30834

[13] Mérillon, J. M., & Ramawat, K. G. (2012). Plant defence: Biological control (pp. 379-403). Berlin: Springer.

[14] Miah, M. A. M., Islam, M. S., & Miah, M. T. H. (2002). Socio-economic impacts of farm mechanization on the livelihoods of rural labourers in Bangladesh. Journal of Farm Economics, 12, 147-162.

[15] Morgan, D. L. (1997). Focus groups as qualitative research (2nd ed., pp. 40–55). SAGE Publications.

[16] Mottaleb, K. A., Krupnik, T. J., & Erenstein, O. (2016). Factors associated with small-scale agricultural machinery adoption in Bangladesh: Census findings. Journal of Rural Studies, 46, 155–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2016.06.012

[17] Mrema, G. C., Baker, D., & Kahan, D. (2008). Agricultural mechanization in sub-Saharan Africa: Time for a new look. Agricultural Management, Marketing and Finance Occasional Paper (FAO), (22). https://www.fao.org/4/i0219e/i0219e00.htm

[18] Ogburn, W. F. (1922). Social change with respect to culture and original nature (pp. 200-210). New York, NY: B.W. Huebsch.

[19] Orlove, B. S., & Brush, S. B. (1996). Anthropology and the conservation of biodiversity. Annual Review of Anthropology, 25(1), 329-352. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.anthro.25.1.329

[20] Pender, J. S. (2010). Climate change, its impacts and possible community-based responses in Bangladesh (2nd ed.). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Church of Bangladesh. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242473297_WHAT_IS_CLIMATE_CHANGE_AND_HOW_IT_WILL_EFFECT_BANGLADESH

[21] Rahman, H. M. M., & Ghose, S. K. (2019). Philosophy of Bangabandhu. ELK's International Journal of Social Science, 6(1), 36-53.

[22] Rahman, M. M., Ali, M. R., Oliver, M. M. H., Hanif, M. A., Uddin, M. Z., Saha, K. K., ... & Moniruzzaman, M. (2021). Farm mechanization in Bangladesh: A review of the status, roles, policy, and potentials. Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, 6, 100225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafr.2021.100225

[23] Saldana, J. (2016). The coding manual for qualitative researchers (3rd ed., pp. 78–88). SAGE Publications.

[24] Sarker, D. (2020). Bangabandhu and Agriculture. The Asian Age. https://dailyasianage.com/news/223104/bangabandhu-and-agriculture

[25] Sillitoe, P. (2006). Indigenous knowledge in development. Anthropology in Action, 13(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2006.130302

[26] Simone Sala, & Stefano Bocchi. (2014). Green revolution impacts in Bangladesh: Exploring adaptation pathways for enhancing national food security. Climate and Development, 6(3), 238-255. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2014.886988

[27] Singh, V. (2024). Agriculture and food resources. In Textbook of environment and ecology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8846-4_10

[28] Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview (pp. 57–68). Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

[29] Ullah, M. D. R. (2024). NGOs’ role in sustaining indigenous knowledge in rural Bangladesh: Agriculture, healthcare, and disaster management. South Asian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 5(1), 79–102. https://doi.org/10.48165/sajssh.2024.5106

[30] Wohab. (2012). Status of agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh. International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), Asia Division, Bangladesh. https://un-csam.org/sites/default/files/2021-01/bd_0.pdf

[31] Wolf, E. R. (1966). Peasants (pp. 55-70). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Abstract

References

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