Cooperative Ideals, Precarious Realities: Mechanisation, Gendered Informality, and Livelihood Insecurity in Kerala's Coir Sector

The coir industry has long been central to Kerala's traditional economy, supporting the livelihoods of thousands of workers, particularly women. However, competition from neighbouring states that adopted mechanisation earlier has pressured Kerala's coir sector to modernise despite initial resistance. The industry operates through both cooperative and private production systems, with cooperative societies generally viewed as welfare-oriented institutions that provide workers with collective benefits and state support. Yet, conditions within the spinning sector reveal a more complex reality.

Based on a survey of 158 women workers from ten spinning cooperative societies across multiple districts of Kerala, this study examines the impact of mechanisation on income stability, labour conditions, and gender equity. Unlike earlier studies focused mainly on traditional centres such as Alappuzha, this research covers project offices across the state, offering a broader understanding of Kerala's coir sector. The findings show that mechanisation has not ensured income security or improved gender equity. Instead, it has reinforced existing vulnerabilities by imposing rigid work structures, worsening wage delays, and overlooking essential socio-institutional reforms. The study argues that without targeted institutional reforms and gender-responsive policies, mechanisation may deepen labour precarity rather than revitalise Kerala's coir industry.