Gender Dynamics and Aspirational Disparities in Agriculture

AAEA members release new research in AEPP

MILWAUKEE, Wis., Feb. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The United Nations have recently highlighted the challenges of gender disparities in agrifood systems, including the "feminization of agriculture" and the persistent gender wage gap. Discussions around climate resilience in agriculture often overlook the role of gendered aspirations, even though women are disproportionately affected by climate change. With increasing global food security concerns, empowering women farmers through policies that enhance their productivity is more crucial than ever.

New research finds a consistent negative association between gender and aspirations related to agricultural production, with women's aspirations significantly lower when compare to men's. Women with more than 20 years of farming experience have aspirations that are 10% lower than those with less experience. The aspiration gap is also significant among women with children, reducing their agricultural ambitions by approximately 6%.

In the new article, "Gender Dynamics and Aspirational Disparities in Agriculture" published in the Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy (AEPP), Allexis Villacis (The Ohio State University), Selina Bruns (University of Bristol), Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong (World Bank Group), David Ortega (Michigan State University), and Ashok Mishra (Arizona State University), investigate whether agricultural production aspirations differ by gender.

The authors say that some of the main findings of this research are "that women exhibit lower agricultural production aspirations compared to men. This gender-aspiration gap remains significant even after controlling for factors like education, income, and cooperative membership. The gap is more pronounced among women with extensive farming experience and those with children in the household. These findings highlight systemic inequalities in agrifood systems that impact women's ability to aspire to higher levels of agricultural productivity."

If you are interested in setting up an interview, please contact Allison Ware in the AAEA Business Office.

ABOUT AAEA: Established in 1910, the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association (AAEA) is the leading professional association for agricultural and applied economists, with 2,500 members in more than 60 countries. Members of the AAEA work in academic or government institutions as well as in industry and not-for-profit organizations, and engage in a variety of research, teaching, and outreach activities in the areas of agriculture, the environment, food, health, and international development. The AAEA publishes three journals, the Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (an open access journal), the American Journal of Agricultural Economics and Applied Economic Perspectives & Policy, as well as the online magazine Choices and the online open access publication series Applied Economics Teaching Resources. To learn more, visit http://www.aaea.org.

Media Contact

Allison Ware, Agricultural & Applied Economics Association, 414-918-3190, [email protected], www.aaea.org

SOURCE Agricultural & Applied Economics Association