After Indian independence, the Green Revolution public policies enhance food security by intensifying cereal production in fertile plains, but it also caused significant environmental, economic and social issues. Meanwhile, the hilly regions were excluded from Green Revolution productive resources and their agriculture declined. Using comparative agriculture (Cochet et al., 2017) and meso-level regulation theory frameworks (Dervillé et Allaire, 2014; Lamarche, 2023), this research aims to explore which institutional transformations occur in the Haridwar district, a territory at the interface of plains and hilly regions, and how they transform the mode of production and the social relations.

Post-independence India implemented agrarian reform policies aimed at reducing inequalities, yet landless labourers and pastoralist communities remained excluded from it. The Green Revolution further deepened disparities by converting communal grazing lands into private agricultural fields. This shift, accompanied by mechanization of farm work, livestock production focusing on fodder crops, water resource appropriation, and environmental regulation on protected areas, entrenched socio-economic inequalities. To address these issues, organic agriculture initiatives introduced by the Uttarakhand state and the Central Government have promised an agroecological transition. However, these programs continue to marginalize disadvantaged groups by perpetuating an unequal distribution of value added. While farmers reap most of the value added, landless labourers play a critical but undervalued role, particularly in livestock farming. Their contributions, such as selling cow and buffalo dung to renew soil fertility, are vital for sustaining the agrarian system but remain inadequately compensated.