Women are vital to the global food system, but a stronger focus on women’s rights – including education and access to land and capital – is needed to improve global food security. In the United States, USDA research indicates that the total number of farms is declining…but the number of women-owned farms and women farmers is increasing. Women make up nearly 1/3 of the nation’s farmers. Women are more likely to run smaller and more locally oriented operations.

Anna Brones (@annabrones) pens an important piece for Foodie Underground. (It also appears in EcoSalon). In it, she explores a number of critical issues. A key takeaway? Improve the status of women around the globe, and we’ll improve the food system. Another key point? Women’s work in agriculture must become more visible.

She writes:

 

“And if we are going to think about women, then we have to start seeing them too. Audra Mulkern of the Female Farmer Project knows all about that. A talented, self-taught photographer, a couple of years ago, Mulkern decided to launch a projected devoted to documenting the world of women farmers. Inspired by the women farmers in her local Snoqualmie Valley, Mulkern has set out to tell the stories of female farmers. “I noticed over a couple of seasons of visiting farmers markets and farms that there was a marked increase in female interns. I started asking around and decided it was a story I needed to tell,” says Mulkern. Since launching the project, she has photographed women farmers in five different countries, becoming a big advocate for sustainable agriculture and food justice along the way.”

 

A great read. Also, please sure to check out Audra Mulkern’s Female Farmer Project; stunning work.

 

Related Links:

A new crop of women farmers

Op-Ed: Smallholder farmers are the new global food frontier

Gender pay gap widest in farming, financial services

North Carolina’s food sisterhood

Agriculture must change” UN FAO leader tells international gathering