Gender and Women in Agroecological Transition

The document argues that while agroecology offers a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, these transitions are not gender-neutral and often overlook the systemic barriers facing women. It highlights how women's indigenous knowledge is critical for biodiversity and resilience, yet they face significant hurdles in land tenure, financing, and market access. The brief provides recommendations for philanthropic and governmental support to ensure equity, including long-term funding and investment in women-led cooperatives and processing infrastructure.

• Industrial agriculture in Africa promotes unsustainable practices that increase environmental degradation and social inequalities, whereas agroecology can enhance biodiversity, soil health, and food sovereignty while reducing reliance on chemical inputs.
• Women possess critical indigenous knowledge regarding crop rotation, intercropping, agroforestry, and the conservation of diverse species, which is essential for restoring biodiversity and improving resource efficiency.
• Agroecological transitions can increase the physical labour and drudgery for women, who are typically responsible for time-consuming tasks like weeding and planting.
• Women in sub-Saharan Africa face systemic barriers to agroecological transition, specifically regarding access to land, financial resources, and high-value markets, often due to fragmented infrastructure and low consumer awareness of organic products.
• Current philanthropic funding for agroecology in Africa is often insufficient, fragmented, and project-based, frequently failing to provide gender-disaggregated data or address the specific needs of women.
• Regional land tenure systems significantly impact women's ability to participate in agroecology; for example, matrilineal systems in parts of Ghana facilitate land ownership for women, while patrilineal systems often limit it.
• Value addition through processing and the establishment of gender-sensitive processing hubs (such as driers and millers) are critical for increasing women's income and reducing post-harvest losses.

APA

Hope, L., Nchanji, E., Dagoudo, B. A., Jeiyol, E., Nyamolo, V., & Adhekegba, O. D. (2025). Gender and Women in Agroecological Transition. African Climate Foundation. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_B-Gender-and-Women-in-agroeco-WEB-1.pdf

Chicago

Hope, Lesley, Eileen Nchanji, Bienvenu Akowedaho Dagoudo, Elizabeth Jeiyol, Victor Nyamolo, and Onome Destiny Adhekegba. Gender and Women in Agroecological Transition. African Climate Foundation, 2025. https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_B-Gender-and-Women-in-agroeco-WEB-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hope |first1=Lesley |last2=Nchanji |first2=Eileen |last3=Dagoudo |first3=Bienvenu Akowedaho |last4=Jeiyol |first4=Elizabeth |last5=Nyamolo |first5=Victor |last6=Adhekegba |first6=Onome Destiny |title=Gender and Women in Agroecological Transition |publisher=African Climate Foundation |date=2025 |url=https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_B-Gender-and-Women-in-agroeco-WEB-1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hope2025gender, author = {Hope, Lesley and Nchanji, Eileen and Dagoudo, Bienvenu Akowedaho and Jeiyol, Elizabeth and Nyamolo, Victor and Adhekegba, Onome Destiny}, title = {{Gender and Women in Agroecological Transition}}, institution = {African Climate Foundation}, year = {2025}, url = {https://africanclimatefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/801023_B-Gender-and-Women-in-agroeco-WEB-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }