Sosheel Godfrey warns against making a bogeyman out of an alternative banking system. That is, he doesn’t see the so-called ‘middlemen’ of Pakistan's dairy industry as evil collectors that rob farmers of profit, rob the chance to sell milk urban consumers. Rather, he sees them as a part of the community, investing back into their communities through the farmers. Living alongside the local farmers, they extend cash advances to farmers, sometimes providing loans to small hold farmers. And so, their motives are not just making a profit, but rather helping other members of their community to survive and thrive.

In this episode of What’s Sociology Got To Do With It?, Sosheel shines a spotlight on how an outsider’s preconceived notions of economics and a farmer’s behaviour can quickly vary from what is actually happening on the farm. In other words, every farmer and every region has its own economic, cultural and social context around farming–and these must be taken into consideration when research try to analyse farming behaviours and the risk involved in farming. For Sosheel, a farmer who hasn’t had rain in several months would act differently to a farmer living through a monsoon. Both are facing different risks, and so are going to need different advice and resources when making decisions or preparing for the future. And it is a qualitative research approach that is needed for this, he argues.

If you want to contact Sosheel, give him a ring on (02) 6933 2921 or e–mail him on [email protected].