Women and smallholder farming

Addressing global inequities in agriculture

Contributions by Dr Nicoline de Haan, Ms Rhiannon Pyburn, Dr Margaret Alston, 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, 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 Stephanie Buechler, Dr Francis Denisse McClean, Dr Alissa Bilfield, 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:

17 June 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.

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.Women smallholder farmers and the achievement of 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.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Africa: Brenda Boonabaana, Makerere University, Uganda;
5.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Asia: Nozomi Kawarazuka, International Potato Centre (CIP), Vietnam;
6.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Latin America: Janet Momsen, University of California-Davis, USA;
7.The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Middle East: Dina Najjar, ICARDA, Lebanon;

Part 3 Gender negotiations for women smallholders

8.Rebranding and reconstructing masculinity in agriculture: an overview: Angie Carter, Michigan Tech, USA;
9.Sexuality and women smallholders: Prisca Pfammatter, Kanton Basel-Stadt, Switzerland;
10.Negotiating the intersection of gender and race in agriculture: Hannah Whitley, Penn State University, USA;
11.Agriculture, power and gender-based violence: the case of women smallholders in Malawi: Veronica Kaitano, Independent Gender Consultant, Malawi;
12.The impact of migration on women smallholders: the case of Ghana: Jemima Baada, University of British Columbia, Canada;

Part 4 Facilitating access to resources and technology

13.Addressing gender inequities in accessing extension and advisory services: Kathleen Colverson, Arati Joshi, and Fallon Y Riaño J, University of Florida, USA; and Steven Franzel, Independent Consultant, USA;
14.Women smallholders and technology: facilitating access to improve farm productivity and profitability: Girma Gezimu Gebre, Ritsumeikan University, Japan;
15.Gender-transformative approaches/programmes: role and benefits for women smallholders: Rhiannon Pyburn, KIT Royal Tropical Institute, The Netherlands;
16.Financial support initiatives for women smallholders: access and availability: M. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh; 17.Approaches to strengthen women’s land rights and tenure security through agricultural programming: *Krista Jacobs, Caitlin Kieran, Tatiana Gumucio and Nayna Jhaveri, Landesa, USA;
18.Supporting women smallholder farmers: the role of the public and private sectors: Margaret Alston, Monash University and University of Newcastle, Australia;

Part 5 Case studies

19.Women smallholder farmers and water resource management: Stephanie Buechler, Penn State University, USA;
20.Women smallholder farmers growing horticultural crops: Francis Denisse McClean, Zamorano University, Honduras;
21.Women smallholder farmers growing beverage crops: Alissa Bilfield, University of Washington, USA;
22.Enhancing gender equality in agroforestry systems: Marlène Elias, Bioversity International, Italy; Gloria Adeyiga, Bangor University, UK, World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Kenya and Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG), Ghana; Elisabeth Simelton, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sweden; Yovita Ivanova, Bioversity International, Peru; Ana Maria Paez Valencia, Bioversity International, Costa Rica; Barbara Vinceti, Bioversity International, Italy; Tim Pagella, Bangor University, United Kingdom;
23.Supporting women smallholders involved in pig farming: Rosemirta Birungi, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Kenya;
24.Supporting women smallholders involved in poultry farming: Brigitte Bagnol, International Rural Poultry Centre, Mozambique;