Trying to “fit” in: Consequences of uniform development goals for diverse social-ecological systems

Abstract: Local social-ecological systems (SES) have diverse needs owing to their heterogeneous properties such as distinctive histories, cultures and environments. Previous studies have illustrated that a failure to recognize spatial and temporal dynamics, especially in the context of the Anthropocene, where ‘time and space are compressed’ due to globalization, gives rise to the problem of ‘fit’. My question investigates to what extent development goals consider cross-scale dynamics for the development of local SES and its importance for SES resilience. I explored these dynamics in the remote Himalayan villages of West Sikkim, India, through interviews with village and government actors at four different scales of governance, specifically exploring narratives about agricultural development. There has been a rapid shift from subsistence to commercial farming, with monocultures of large cardamom in the lowlands of the case study region. Additionally, there was a major reduction in livestock population and access to forest resources. Policies for agriculture intensification, conservation, a national food subsidy and the effects of globalization combined – are pushing these communities to become extremely dependent on external markets and subsidies for income and food, and bringing a change in their diets (as they substitute local food with imported products). My findings suggest that imposing uniform institutions, so-called “monocropping institutions” have caused the local SES to become increasingly homogenized, and consequently vulnerable to multiple threats. Simplified solutions for development with the added pressure of globalization could thus be seen as a homogenizing force on local SES, ultimately threatening social-ecological resilience at the global scale.