Spatio-Temporal Changes in Crop Cultivation and Their Effects on Rural Livelihoods: A Case Study of Small-Scale Farmers in Belacoba Gram Panchayat, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal

Abstract

Agriculture is crucial for the economy in many areas of India, particularly for small farmers. This study examines the changes in farming over the past thirty years in Belacoba Gram Panchayat, Jalpaiguri. It focuses on how people have moved from traditional farming to growing tea instead. The study used information from surveys of 345 people. Analysed pictures taken by satellites to see how the land was being used. It found that there were changes in how the land was being used between 1995 and 2025. More and more land is being used to grow tea and less land is being used for farming and for plants to grow.
This change has helped many farmers earn money and have a more secure life. It also raises concerns about whether this is sustainable, if people will have enough food, and if the environment can handle it. The study uses ideas about how land use changes and how people can have lives to understand what is happening. This helps us understand what is going on in areas better.