How Capitalist Globalisation Undermines Traditional Local Knowledge: The Case of Indian Ghani, an Ancient Artisanal Method of Producing Edible Oil, Grappling with the Growing Industrialisation and Liberalisation of the Sector

This dissertation investigates how capitalist globalisation undermines traditional local knowledge systems, focusing on the Indian ghani, an ancient artisanal method of producing edible oil. The decline of this practice is analysed within the broader context of Western-driven development, agri-food industrialisation, and liberalisation of the edible oil sector. The study examines epistemological tensions between traditional and modern knowledge, the sociocultural and economic significance of the ghani, and the extent to which artisanal practices can coexist with industrial production in contemporary India. A hybrid deductive–inductive approach was employed, combining a literature review with fieldwork conducted in India. This comprised two surveys allowing both quantitative and qualitative analysis of contributions from a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society, ghani workers, NGOs, industry representatives, and academics. Findings reveal declining visibility and practical knowledge of the ghani, yet also a strong sociocultural resonance. This paradox reveals a fading practice that continues to embody memory, identity, and resistance to the homogenisation of global models. Economically, small producers face severe disadvantages in competing with industrial plants and cheap imports, while niche markets provide only limited opportunities for survival. The analysis shows how industrial and policy frameworks structurally marginalise artisans, relegating them to peripheral or subordinated roles, while simultaneously rebranding elements of their cultural value for urban elite markets. This process of “eliticisation” risks detaching artisanal production from its community base, transforming a once accessible tradition into a niche commodity. The study concludes that the decline of the ghani is emblematic of wider processes of epistemic injustice, whereby capitalist globalisation privileges industrial efficiency and consumerist appropriation over cultural continuity, social equity, and ecological sustainability. It calls for a reimagined food system in which artisanal and industrial modes of production are integrated on more equitable terms. Such an approach would recognise the cultural and ecological contributions of traditional practices while harnessing the capacities of modern industry, generating hybrid models that are both more socially just and environmentally resilient. Safeguarding institutions like the ghani is thus not a nostalgic exercise but a vital step towards building plural, inclusive, and sustainable futures.