WASHINGTON
,
January 9, 2024
(press release)
–
New AFT Report Finds Disparities, Including Access to Resources, Among Women in Agriculture * * * Despite evidence to their rising presence in
"The findings of this report are profound and concerning, in terms of what they say about the uphill battles that the growing number of women and gender-queer people trying to make it as farmers continue to face," said
The report details the ways these barriers impact women in agriculture, the secondary issues that arise, and the implications for food production, farm viability, climate resilience, and farmland protection. It found that women-led farms are making substantially less money, have unique challenges in accessing secure land tenure, and receive less government support through financial and technical assistance. For example, for every
The 2017 Census of Agriculture found that more than half, 56 percent of all farms had at least one female producer involved in the operation, but that just 29 percent of all principal operators were women. The 2019
In addition to being underrepresented in farm leadership roles, the report found that women tend to be lead decision-makers on agricultural operations that produce things like fruits, vegetables, poultry, horses, and nursery crops, which tend to be on the fringes agricultural production in the
The report authors used a literature review, semi-structured in-depth interviews, and analysis of data from the
"Agriculture needs women," said
The report recommendations include placement of more women in farming leadership roles; training in cultural competency and gender-appropriate services for agricultural support staff; increased investment in rural community infrastructure including childcare; and improvements to programs tailored for small and mid-sized farms, among others. * * *
* * * REPORT: https://farmlandinfo.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/12/AFT-gender-equity-report.pdf * * * Original text here: https://farmland.org/inequities-persist-among-american-women-farmers-research-finds/
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