Variables Influencing Increased Agricultural Yields in Areas of Socioeconomic Transition

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington KY

Investigators

Abstract

One striking feature of contemporary agricultural production is the rapidly increasing number of women-headed farms registered in national agricultural databases and with small producer organizations, such as the ones producing for fair trade markets. While it is clear that women are increasingly represented in these formal registries and producer groups, it is less certain that this trend is correlated with women's increased access to secure land holdings, credit, and agricultural services; heightened participation in local governance; or increased economic decision-making power at home. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, if women and men had access to the same resources, agricultural yields could increase 20-30%. In addition, many environmental conservation and global climate change mitigation programs are based upon the idea that farmers will undertake activities such as planting trees or protecting endangered species, yet relatively few studies have assessed whether and how women farmers will respond to these environmental initiatives. The expanding number of women farmers across the globe will certainly have far-reaching implications for policies related to both poverty alleviation and environmental management. Given the importance of stable agricultural livelihoods to North American issues such as migration, food security, environmental conservation, and drug enforcement, a better understanding of women and agriculture is in our vital interests. Dr. Sarah Lyon and Dr. Tad Mutersbaugh of the University of Kentucky explore whether activities associated with EQ-GVCs (ethical quality global value chains) correlate with measures of gender equity. This research will be conducted in highland coffee producing areas of Mexico where the percentage of women farmers participating in certified organic and fairtrade coffee production has increased from just 9% to well over 40% in a little over a decade. Oaxaca is also marked by extensive cultural and organizational heterogeneity. The project explores two questions: First, it assesses how this increase affects gender equity in local governance and whether it increases women's land holdings and their access to credit and agricultural training. Second, it examines how women farm, asking whether women have different practices and expectations in comparison with men. To answer these questions, researchers will survey coffee plots; interview both women and men farmers; and observe and participate in activities related to coffee production, producer organizations, and community life. Researchers will also interview coffee buyers, donors, and coffee industry participants in order to better understand the links between gendered production practices and larger market transformations. The research will help identify barriers to women's participation in agriculture with the goal of informing future policies and programs to promote gender equity and women's access to productive resources. This would not only help explore methods for increasingly agricultural output in developing countries, but also assess the scale at which these strategies enhance the life prospects of future generations.