Objective: To study the impact of mechanization on coffee curing workers using both primary and secondary data.
Methods: To measure the impact of mechanization on coffee curing workers in India, unit level data from employment-unemployment survey collected by National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) for two time points 1999-2000 and 2011-12 were considered. Proprietors of six coffee curing factories based in Karnataka were interviewed due to the fact that among all the states in India 73% of coffee curing factories is based in Karnataka.
Findings: Adaptation of electronic grader and colour sorter had reduced the size of workforce – both male and female workers. Since, coffee curing factories are covered by Factories Act, 1948, a significant number of workers lost their regular source of income due to adaptation of technology.
Application: The study clearly indicates that workers – both male and female workers are being affected by the technologies related to coffee curing. The impact is severe in forcing workers into unorganized sector as contract worker with little or no social security benefits. Therefore, there is a need to protect employment and strengthen them with the help of government agencies and non-government organisations for entitlements to social security benefits.