Gender integration in food systems

This guidance note from the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines the necessity of intersectional gender integration within the research for development (R4D) project cycle to avoid reinforcing existing social inequities and to improve the quality of science in food systems.

• Gender equality and women's empowerment, as defined by Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, act as catalysts for progress in poverty reduction, health, environmental sustainability, resilience, and agriculture. Evidence shows positive links between these factors and economic growth, food and nutrition security, and climate change adaptation.
• Significant gender gaps persist in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors. While 39% of employed women globally work in these areas, they are mostly in informal work and low-return positions with limited influence over governance. Additionally, women hold only 14% of global agricultural land.
• The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected women and girls, particularly those from marginalized groups and the poor. Impacts included increased unpaid care work, intensified gender-based violence, and the loss of income and paid work in feminized value chains such as trade and fish processing.
• Research for development (R4D) that is gender-blind or claims to be gender-neutral risks widening gender gaps and reinforcing an uneven playing field. This occurs through male-biased sampling, gender-blind data interpretation, and the assumption that men and women share the same risk-vulnerabilities or needs, resulting in innovations that primarily benefit dominant groups.
• Gender-blind data leads to a "cycle of invisibility" and the creation of weaker policies and programs that fail to meet the needs of marginalized peoples and women. Effective gender integration is considered fundamental to the overall quality of science in R4D.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2022). Gender integration in food systems. https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Gender integration in food systems. 2022. https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Gender integration in food systems |date=1 November 2022 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2022gender, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Gender integration in food systems}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/gender-integration-food-systems/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }