A new study looking at the benefits of good farmer seed production suggests women need more support to participate in contract farming—to the same extent as their male counterparts—and have more equality along the whole food value chain.

The CABI-led research—which sought to assess the benefits of good farmer seed production through a case study of the Good Seed Initiative in Tanzania—reveals that while around 70% of the labor to grow African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) is provided by women only 10 to 30% are contract farmers who own the fields, make decisions on sales and control revenues.

The paper, led by Dr. Monica Kansiime and published in the journal Agriculture and Food Security, argues that the adoption of gender-inclusive approaches in contract farming arrangements is ‘paramount’ and can have multiple benefits including shared decision-making amongst men and women.

Dr. Dannie Romney, co-author of the paper, said, “The adoption of gender-inclusive approaches in contract farming arrangements is paramount and can have multiple benefits, including decision-making and benefit of both men and women from such arrangements.”

> Source: PHYS.ORG