Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank, and Emily Payne, a food and agriculture writer, call for critically examining the traditional power structures in the food system and advocate the key role women play in creating a more sustainable, equitable, and economically viable agricultural scene. Given that female farmers make up almost half of the agricultural labour force worldwide, and in some countries up to 80%, they are responsible for important tasks such as seed saving and crop tending. If they were ensured equal access to resources that men have, they could help increase yields by up to 30% and thus, they are a fundamental part of ensuring global food security. Success stories linked to women’s efforts in agriculture involve workshops on climate-adaptive irrigation strategies in Jamaica to Women in Agricultural program in Nigeria that connects female farmers to vital services. Photo credit: Naimul Haq and Inter Press Service.
