Women working in agrifood systems globally earn just 78 cents for every dollar earned by men, prompting the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to call for greater investment in women farmers and stronger measures to address inequalities limiting their economic opportunities.

The FAO says investing in women through improved access to land, financing, technology, training and fair employment could strengthen agricultural productivity, improve food security and contribute to economic growth.

Women play a critical role across agrifood systems, from farming and food processing to distribution and trade. In 2023, they accounted for 42 per cent of the global agrifood workforce, while the sector employed 44 per cent of working women worldwide.

Despite their contribution, women continue to face significant barriers to accessing the resources needed to improve their productivity and livelihoods.

According to the FAO, women farmers experience a 24 per cent gender gap in land productivity compared with men, even when working on plots of the same size. Unequal access to capital, education and technology, alongside the effects of climate change and unpaid care responsibilities, further limits their opportunities.

The organisation estimates that closing gender gaps in agricultural productivity and wages could increase global gross domestic product by US$1 trillion and reduce food insecurity for 45 million people.

With 2026 designated the International Year of the Woman Farmer, the FAO is urging governments to strengthen women's land rights, develop gender-responsive agricultural policies and increase investment in women farmers.

It is also calling on the private sector to develop technologies suited to women's needs, support women-led cooperatives and provide safe, fair working conditions.

The FAO's message came one day ahead of the World Food Day observance.

 

Credit: FAO