Women and smallholder farming

Addressing global inequities in agriculture

Contributions by Dr Paige Castellanos, Dr Nicoline de Haan, Ms Rhiannon Pyburn, Dr Margaret Alston, Dr Sabin Bieri, Dr Brenda Boonabaana, Dr Nozomi Kawarazuka, Emerita Professor Janet Momsen, Ms Dina Najjar, Dr Angie Carter, Dr Prisca Pfammatter, Dr Hannah Whitley, Ms Veronica Kaitano, Dr Jemima Baada, Dr Margaret Adesugba, Prof. Kathleen Earl Colverson, Arati Joshi, Fallon Y Riaño J, Steven Franzel, Dr Girma Gezimu Gebre, Dr M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Dr Krista Jacobs, Dr Margaret Alston, Dr Janelle Larson, Dr Stephanie Buechler, Dr Francis Denisse McClean, Dr Alissa Bilfield, Dr Linley Chiwona-Karltun, Dr Hudu Zakaria, Dr Marlène Elias, Gloria Adeyiga, Elisabeth Simelton, Yovita Ivanova, Ana Maria Paez Valencia, Barbara Vinceti, Tim Pagella, Ms Rosemirta Birungi, Ms Brigitte Bagnol Edited by Emerita Professor Carolyn Sachs, Dr Paige Castellanos

Publication date:

Q2 2025

Publisher

Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing

Dimensions:

229x152mm
6x9"

There are an estimated 500 million smallholder farmers across the world, of which a suggested 60-80% are women. Despite this overwhelming majority, women smallholders remain largely unsupported and their contribution to agriculture is often devalued because of their sex.

Women and smallholder farming: Addressing global inequities in agriculture provides a comprehensive overview of the main obstacles and challenges women smallholders continue to face, such as restricted access to markets and education, as well as a lack of control over assets and property rights. The book also assesses the impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers in different regions around the world, including Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. In highlighting these issues, the book considers how key stakeholders across the agri-food supply chain can support, empower and sufficiently compensate women smallholder farmers for their contribution to agriculture.

Edited by two internationally-renowned experts on gender and agriculture, the book will be a standard reference for university and other researchers studying smallholder farming systems in departments of agricultural science, gender studies, international development, politics and development economics, as well as government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in development programmes focussing on women smallholders.

Part 1 Women smallholders and global agricultural production

1.The role of women smallholder farmers in achieving global food security: an overview: Nicoline de Haan, Gender Platform Director - CGIAR, Kenya;
2.The role of women smallholders in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Rhiannon Pyburn, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, The Netherlands;
3.The adoption of climate change mitigation strategies by women smallholder farmers: Margaret Alston, Monash University and University of Newcastle, Australia;

Part 2 Sociocultural factors and their effects on women smallholder farmers

4.Challenges facing women smallholder farmers: an overview: Sabin Bieri, University of Bern, Switzerland;
5.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Africa: Brenda Boonabaana, Makerere University, Uganda;
6.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Asia: Nozomi Kawarazuka, International Potato Centre (CIP), Vietnam;
7.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Latin America: Janet Momsen, University of California-Davis, USA;
8.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Middle East: Dina Najjar, ICARDA, Lebanon;

Part 3 Gender negotiations for women smallholders

9.The role and influence of care work responsibilities on agricultural production: Paige Castellanos, Oxfam, USA;
10.Confronting masculinities and patriarchal gender norms in agriculture: an overview: Angie Carter, Michigan Tech, USA;
11.Sexuality and women smallholders: Prisca Pfammatter, Kanton Basel-Stadt, Switzerland;
12.Negotiating the intersection of gender and race in agriculture: Hannah Whitley, Penn State University, USA;
13.Agriculture, power and gender-based violence: Veronica Kaitano, Independent Gender Consultant, Malawi;
14.The impact of migration on women smallholders: Jemima Baada, University of British Columbia, Canada;

Part 4 Facilitating access to resources and technology

15.Challenges facing women smallholder farmers: access to markets: Margaret Adesugba, Newcastle University, UK;
16.Improving access of women smallholders to technical training and extension programmes: Kathleen Colverson, University of Florida, USA;
17.Women smallholders and technology: facilitating access to improve farm productivity and profitability: Girma Gezimu Gebre, Ritsumeikan University, Japan;
18.Gender-transformative approaches/programmes: role and benefits for women smallholders: Rhiannon Pyburn, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, The Netherlands;
19.Financial support initiatives for women smallholders: access and availability: M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh;
20.Challenges facing women smallholder farmers: land tenure/land rights: Krista Jacobs, Landesa, USA;
21.Supporting women smallholder farmers: the role of the public and private sectors: Margaret Alston, Monash University and University of Newcastle, Australia;
22.Supporting women smallholder farmers: the establishment of women empowerment programmes: Janelle Larson, Penn State University, USA;

Part 5 Case studies

23.Women smallholder farmers and water resource management: Stephanie Buechler, Penn State University, USA;
24.Women smallholder farmers growing horticultural crops: Francis Denisse McClean, Zamorano University, Honduras;
25.Women smallholder farmers growing beverage crops: Alissa Bilfield, University of Washington, USA;
26.Women smallholder farmers growing roots, tubers and pulses: Linley Chiwona-Karltun, Swedish Unviersity of Life Sciences, Sweden;
27.Women smallholder farmers growing oil bearing crops: Hudu Zakaria, University of Development Studies, Ghana;
28.Women smallholder farmers and agroforestry systems: Marlène Elias, Bioversity International, Italy;
29.Supporting women smallholders involved in pig farming: Rosemirta Birungi, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya;
30.Supporting women smallholders involved in poultry farming: Brigitte Bagnol, International Rural Poultry Centre, Mozambique;