Firstly thank you to the CFS Secretariat for opening this important topic for discussion. The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) proposes that for the 2016-2017 biennium, the CFS builds up on the outcomes of the post-2015 agenda in order to foster policy coherence between the various agencies, and state and non-state actors in the private sector and civil society.
In particular we suggest that the CFS prioritizes the following topic that is imperative to rural development especially in the most impoverished regions of the world:
Women’s empowerment
Gender equality is important in agriculture as a vehicle towards food and nutrition security for all. More female policy and decision-makers are needed to represent and reflect the challenges faced by women farmers, especially smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa who face a double yield gap: one with the developed world and the other with male farmers in their own communities. Female farmers require access to land, credit, and technology in order to achieve the basic human right of feeding their families.
According to the World Bank only 16.2% of ministerial-level positions are held by women worldwide, leaving women with little power at policy level. This has a huge impact on the ability of governments to supply all farmers with the necessary inputs and tools, as the needs and struggles of female farmers are not communicated at this level.
Last month the World Bank and advocacy group ONE released the report ‘Levelling the field: Improving opportunities for women farmers in Africa’. The report addresses the yield-gap between women and men in Africa. Despite the fact that Africa’s women farmers make up nearly half of the labour force in agriculture but on average produce less per hectare than men. Previous statistics from the UN Food and Agriculture’s (FAO) 2010-11 State of Food Insecurity in the World report revealed if women were given equal access to resources agriculture output would increase by2.5-4% in developing countries.
Lastly, both a HLPE report and/or a major workstream would be appropriate to address the issue of women empowerment both in the field and in the policy arena to promote food and nutrition security for all.
Dear all,
Firstly thank you to the CFS Secretariat for opening this important topic for discussion. The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) proposes that for the 2016-2017 biennium, the CFS builds up on the outcomes of the post-2015 agenda in order to foster policy coherence between the various agencies, and state and non-state actors in the private sector and civil society.
In particular we suggest that the CFS prioritizes the following topic that is imperative to rural development especially in the most impoverished regions of the world:
Women’s empowerment
Gender equality is important in agriculture as a vehicle towards food and nutrition security for all. More female policy and decision-makers are needed to represent and reflect the challenges faced by women farmers, especially smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa who face a double yield gap: one with the developed world and the other with male farmers in their own communities. Female farmers require access to land, credit, and technology in order to achieve the basic human right of feeding their families.
According to the World Bank only 16.2% of ministerial-level positions are held by women worldwide, leaving women with little power at policy level. This has a huge impact on the ability of governments to supply all farmers with the necessary inputs and tools, as the needs and struggles of female farmers are not communicated at this level.
Last month the World Bank and advocacy group ONE released the report ‘Levelling the field: Improving opportunities for women farmers in Africa’. The report addresses the yield-gap between women and men in Africa. Despite the fact that Africa’s women farmers make up nearly half of the labour force in agriculture but on average produce less per hectare than men. Previous statistics from the UN Food and Agriculture’s (FAO) 2010-11 State of Food Insecurity in the World report revealed if women were given equal access to resources agriculture output would increase by2.5-4% in developing countries.
Lastly, both a HLPE report and/or a major workstream would be appropriate to address the issue of women empowerment both in the field and in the policy arena to promote food and nutrition security for all.
Thank you.
Resources:
http://www.worldbank.org/mdgs/gender.html
http://www.one.org/international/policy/levelling-the-field-improving-opportunities-for-women-farmers-in-africa/?source=blogIntUK132103182014
http://www.fao.org/publications/sofi/en/