Cultivating Equality: Empowering Women in Agri-Food Systems

Strengthening women’s empowerment and leadership in agri-food systems is now recognized as a vital imperative to enhance agricultural productivity, bolster food security, improve nutrition, and fortify resilience against the impacts of climate change. The findings of the international gender conference, “From research to impact: Towards just and resilient agri-food systems”, held in New Delhi from 9th to 12th October 2023, underscored the significance of women’s active participation. Hosted by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), this conference brought together global experts and researchers to champion gender equity in agriculture. This mission gains even more momentum following the G20 Summit’s commitment to advancing women-led development in the domains of food security, nutrition, and climate action.

Overview

The conference was a dynamic forum for the exchange of ideas, research-based evidence, and innovative strategies aimed at promoting women’s roles and influence in agri-food systems. The key takeaways from the conference revolve around the intentional design of agricultural programs, projects, and policies to empower women, with the understanding that this approach yields multifaceted benefits. Increased agricultural productivity, improved nutrition, diversified diets, enhanced food security, and superior climate resilience are some of the positive outcomes. The conference highlighted Farmer Producer Organisations and collective efforts as promising avenues to amplify women’s access to markets, resources, agency, and empowerment. Additionally, it emphasized the pivotal role of women’s leadership at all levels of innovation, decision-making, and policy formulation in fostering just and resilient agri-food systems.

Key Points

1. Women’s Empowerment Yields Better Outcomes: Research presented at the conference affirmed that empowering women through intentional agricultural programs and policies results in a win-win situation. It leads to higher agricultural productivity, improved child nutrition, diversified diets, enhanced food security, and increased resilience against climate change.
2. Role of Farmer Producer Organisations: The conference highlighted Farmer Producer Organisations and collective initiatives as a promising approach to empower women by enhancing their access to markets, resources, and decision-making capabilities. These entities play a critical role in boosting the agri-food ecosystem.
3. Women’s Leadership is Paramount: To achieve truly just and resilient agri-food systems, it is imperative to promote women’s leadership across the board. This includes encouraging women to take active roles in innovation, decision-making, and policy formulation. Gender inclusivity is the key to success.
4. G20 Prioritizes Women-Led Development: Following the G20 Summit, leaders have identified four priority areas: investments in food security and nutrition, climate-smart approaches, inclusive agricultural value chains, and digitalization for agricultural transformation. These priorities highlight the central role of women in shaping the future of agri-food systems.
5. Research-User Partnerships: A significant call to action arising from the conference is the need to strengthen partnerships between researchers and those who implement research findings. These partnerships are crucial for informing policy decisions and ensuring that research translates into real-world impact.
6. Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: The conference emphasized the importance of building strong partnerships between researchers, policymakers, and the private sector. Collaborative efforts are essential to harnessing the full potential of women’s involvement in agriculture.
7. International Collaboration: The four-day conference, featuring 4 plenary sessions, 54 parallel sessions, and 6 poster sessions, convened delegates from over 60 countries. This international collaboration allowed for diverse perspectives and insights on how gender-focused agricultural research can contribute to more resilient and just agri-food systems.
8. Future projections: Key development partners shared their perspectives on the path from research to impact. They highlighted the need for renewed focus on designing agricultural solutions that consider the specific needs and constraints of women smallholders. This collective effort to empower women in agriculture promises not only to enhance productivity and food security but also to build more equitable and resilient agri-food systems for the future. The international gender conference has set the stage for a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural future, where women’s empowerment and leadership take center stage.

Conclusion

The international gender conference held in New Delhi in October 2023 was a pivotal event that underscored the critical importance of strengthening women’s empowerment and leadership in agri-food systems. Moreover, the commitment of G20 leaders to advance women-led development in food security, nutrition, and climate action further underscores the global momentum in this direction. Key priorities identified, such as investments in food security, climate-smart approaches, inclusive agricultural value chains, and digitalization, reflect the central role of women in shaping the future of agri-food systems.

As we look to the future, it is evident that strengthening partnerships between researchers, policymakers, and the private sector, as well as international collaboration, will be paramount in realizing the full potential of women’s involvement in agriculture. This conference has set the stage for a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agricultural landscape, where women’s empowerment and leadership are central to achieving just and prosperous agri-food systems for all. The seeds sown here will yield a harvest of progress in the years to come.