Women at the Core of Climate-Smart Agriculture: Advancing Equity and Food Security through Empowerment
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66529/agripat.2026.2.5.123Keywords:
Climate-smart agriculture, Women's empowerment, Gender equity, Food security, Climate resilience, Smallholder farming, Sustainable food systemsAbstract
Climate volatility threatens global food security, particularly in developing nations where female farmers face severe resource barriers. This narrative review synthesizes empirical research published between 2010 and 2026 to evaluate women’s empowerment, climate-smart agricultural adoption, and household food security. Applying structured narrative frameworks, 44 academic studies and policy reports were synthesized across four major academic databases. The selected literature was analyzed using Feminist Political Ecology and the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index conceptual frameworks. Findings reveal that conventional technical adaptation programs often fail by ignoring local power dynamics and increasing female unpaid care burdens. In contrast, gender-responsive interventions addressing land tenure, credit constraints, and information gaps generate strong economic benefits. Securing equal access to essential productive assets directly increases agricultural yields for female farmers. This productivity gain expands household dietary diversity, reduces child stunting, and strengthens climate shock absorption. Labor-saving equipment and solar micro-irrigation reduce drudgery while improving seasonal farm earnings. However, national climate policies often ignore gender metrics, lack gender-disaggregated data, and risk male control over profitable practices. Achieving sustainable food security requires moving from gender-neutral programs toward gender-transformative governance models. National frameworks must mandate joint land titling and protect female property rights. Public agencies and financial institutions should offer flexible credit programs, direct mobile digital advisories, and inclusive participatory technology design. Evidence confirms that targeted investment in female agricultural producers is essential for building efficient, fair, and productive agrifood systems across vulnerable communities.
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