Women and Vegetable Production in Abra, Philippines: Benefits and Challenges

International Journal Of Agricultural Science, Research And Technology In Extension And Education Systems

مقاله 4، دوره 3، شماره 2، مهر 2013، صفحه 81-86   

نویسندگان

Evangeline P. Agres^* ؛ Leo G. Inocencio؛ Alma C. Aguinaldo

Philippine Rice Research Institute, Tabug, Batac City, 2906 Ilocos Norte, Philippines

چکیده

There is limited literature on how to engage the rural women in agriculture and improve their contributions to household food security and income. This study aimed to contribute to literature on women engagement in agriculture through vegetable production using good agricultural practices. The empirical data used were drawn from technology demonstrations and experimentation, learning fields, and training. Field work ran from May 2010 to November 2010. Participant observation, focus group discussion, individual interviews and survey were used in data collection. The potentials of vegetable production using good agricultural practices in improving women’s household food security and income were investigated. But how gender-responsive is this technology to women farmers? The study was started with 68 women farmers from Barangays Dalaguisen, Pawa and Nagtupacan in Lagangilang, Abra, Philippines. The same technologies and training were given to all women however the volume of vegetables produced and the benefits derived varied among women partners. The major challenge lies in making the women’s vegetable production practices attain maximum potential gain for women, their household and the community. Strategies to determine the champions and profiling the champions is a very important research move to mobilize them.

کلیدواژه‌ها

Women farmers؛ off-season vegetable production؛ Training

مراجع

1. Akhter S., Alamgir M., Sohel, S. I., Rana, P., Ahmed, S. J., and Chowdhury, M.S. (2010). The role of women in traditional farming systems as practiced in home gardens: a case study in Sylhet SadarUpazila, Bangladesh. Tropical Conservation Science. 3(1):17-30.

2. Agres, E. P., Inoue K., Aguinaldo, A.C., Catudan, B. M., Abrogena, N. Q., Castro, R. C., Inocencio, L . G., and Gappi, M. R. (2009). Location Specific Technologies for Vegetables inIlocos. PCARRD Highlights 2009. 54-55. http://www.pcaard.dost.gov.ph/home/joomla/index2.php? option=com_content

3. Anderson, E. F. (1993). Plants and people on the golden Triangle: Ethnobotany of the Hill tribe of Northern Thailand. Silkworm Books.

4. Boakye-Achampong, S., Osei Mensah, J. Aidoo, R., and Osei-Agyemang, K. (2012). The role of rural women in the attainment of household food security in Ghana: A case study of women- farmers in Ejura-Sekyeredumasi district. International Journal of Pure & Applied Sciences & Technology. 12(1):29.

5. Commission on the Status of Women. (2011). The empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges.

6. Duggan, L. (1998). Women’s unpaid work. In Visvanethan L, Duggan L, Nissonoff and Wiegersma N. (eds.) 1998. The women, gender and development reader. 103-111. Zed Books Ltd, London and New Jersey.

7. Elmasoud, R. A. (2001). Rural Women Participation in Socio-economic Development in ShiekhanProvince (NKS). Unpubl. M.Sc. Thesis, Faculty of Agriculture, Univ. of Khartoum, Khartoum.

8. FAO/WHO. (1992). International conference on nutrition. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome.

9. FAO. (2009). How to feed the world in 2050. Rome.

10. Farm News. (2012). Neglecting role of women in agriculture increases food insecurity. New Delhi, India. http://www.seeddaily.com/Farm_News.html

11. Gardner, G and Halweil, B. (2000). Underfed and overfed: the global epidemic of malnutrition. Worldwatch paper 150. Worldwatch Inst. Wash., D.C.

12. Haddah, L., Alderman, S, Song, L., and Yohannes, Y. (2003). Reducing child under nutrition. How far income growth doestakes us? Intl. Food Policy Res. Inst. (IFPRI), Food Consumption Nutr. Div., Wash., D.C.

13. Hew, C.S. and Kedit, F. (1987). Women Farmers and Rural Change in Asia. Kuala Lumpur. Advancingthe Pinnacles of Dental Health Care. 163-219.

14. Holmer, R. J. and Schnitzler, W. H. (2000). Urban and Peri-Urban Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Development for Sustainable Vegetable Production and Marketing Systems. http://cityfarmer.og/index.html#notes.

15. Jamali, K. (2009). The Role of Rural Women in Agriculture and its Allied Fields: A Case Study of Pakistan. European Journal of Social Sciences. 7(3):70-77pp.

16. Joffre, O., Kura, Y., Pant, J. and So, N. (2010). Aquaculture for the poor in Cambodia – Lessons learned. The World Fish Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 16pp.

17. Karim, A. T. (1996). Assessment of Women Development Activities in the Context of ADS/Elobied (Western Sudan). Unpubl. M.Sc. Thesis. Development Studies Research Center, Khartoun.

18. Kelkar, G. (2009). The Feminization of Agriculture in Asia: Implications for Women's Agency and Productivity. Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region. http://www.agnet.org/library/eb/594/.

19. Koopman, J. E. (2009). Globalization, Gender and Poverty in the Senegal River Valley. Feminist Economics 15(3):253-285 pp.

20. Lu, J. L. (2011). Relations of feminization of agriculture and women’s occupational health – the case of women farmers in the Philippines. J of Intl. Women’s Studies.

21. Marsh, R. (1998). Building on traditional gardening to improve household food security. Food, Nutrition and Agriculture (22). Food Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO). Rome.

22. National Sectoral Report on Women, Agriculture and Rural Development. (1994). http://www.fao.org/sd/wpdirect/WPre0009.htm 23. Pontius, J.C., Dilts, R. and Bartlett, R. (2002). From farmer field school to community IPM: Ten years of IPM training in Asia. RAP/2002/15, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok. 106 pp.

24. Quisumbing, A.R., Brown, L.R., Feldstein, H.S., Haddad, L., and Peña, C. (1995). Women: the key to food security. Food Policy Statement 21. Washington, D.C. International Food Policy Research Institute.

25. Ramachandran, N. (2006). Women and Food Security in South Asia: Current Issues and Emerging Concerns. Research Paper No. 131. United Nations University, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UDU, WIDER), Helsinki.

26. Resurreccion, P. F. (2012). Entrepreneurial Competencies and Work – Life Balance of Rural Women Entrepreneurs: Evidence from thePhilippines. J. of Sociological Research. 3(2):544-556.

27. Sanyang, S.E., Kao, T.C., and Huang, W.C. (2009). The Impact of agricultural Technology Transfer to Women Vegetable Producers and Marketing Group in Gambia. World Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 5(2): 169-179.

28. United Nations. (2008). Women 2000 and Beyond. Rural Women in Changing World: Opportunities and Challenges. New York.

29. United Nations System Standing Committee on Nutrition (UN-SCN). (2004). 5th Rpt. on the world nutrition situation. Nutrition for improved development outcomes. World Health Organization, UN-SCN, Geneva.

30. U.S. Department of Agriculture. (1996). The food guide pyramid. Ctr. Nutr. Policy promotion, Wash., D.C. Home and Garden Bul. 252.

31. World Bank. (1993). Agricultural Extension for Women Farmers. WILDLINE November 3. Washington, D.C.: World Bank (Population and Human Resources Department).

32. Yiridoe, E. K. and Anchirinah, V. M. (2005). Garden production systems and food security in Ghana: Characteristics of traditional knowledge and management systems. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 20(3): 168-180.