Enhancing Sustainability in the Agricultural Sector Amid COVID-19: An Implication of the Transactional Theory

Mariam Mangi, Rana Salman Anwar, Shabeer Khan, Mohd Ziaur Rehman (), Muhammad Bhatti and Wadi B. Alonazi
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Mariam Mangi: Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sindh 65200, Pakistan
Rana Salman Anwar: Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sindh 65200, Pakistan
Shabeer Khan: Faculty of Political Science, Department of Islamic Economics and Finance, Sakarya University, Serdivan 54050, Turkey
Mohd Ziaur Rehman: Department of Finance, College of Business Administration, King Saud University, Riyadh 11587, Saudi Arabia
Wadi B. Alonazi: Health Administration Department, College of Business Administration, King Saud University, Riyadh 11587, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 13, 1-17

Abstract: COVID-19 impacted lives and business activities across all sectors of the economy, and farmers were no exception. Utilizing the lens of the transactional theory of stress and coping, the present study explores the stressors among small-scale farmers and the strategies they adopted for farm management during the pandemic. This study follows qualitative research design principles and collects the data of farmers from Pakistan on their lived experiences via in-depth interviews. We selected the farmers based on the purposive criterion sampling method, selecting farmers whose farm management practices were affected by the pandemic. The findings suggest that the pandemic created stress among farmers through internal and external factors. The low income of farmers and decline in their yield appeared as internal factors, and hindrances in utilizing resources, strict lockdown measures, worsening supply chain, and market conditions were major external factors impacting farmers emotionally and economically. Farmers utilized their available resources to cope with these factors, i.e., family labor, on-farm labor accommodation, and self-transportation. Nonetheless, farmers demanded the government, fellow farmers, and wholesalers to build a better system to cope with any crisis such as COVID-19. This study provides two primary contributions: First, it provides theoretical contributions to the transactional model of farmers’ stress and coping during COVID-19, taking evidence from farmers in the agricultural sector. Second, it provides a comprehensive framework through which researchers, practitioners, consultants, and government authorities can build future scholarship and develop strategies to enhance sustainability and cope with future pandemics.

Keywords: COVID-19; farmers; stress and coping strategies; farm management; transactional theory; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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