Are women neglected in the EU agriculture? Evidence from Lithuanian young farmers

The Health and Well-Being of Women in Farming: A Systematic Scoping Review

OBJECTIVES

Health and well-being have long been identified as key issues for investigation within agricultural communities. While myriad studies have been conducted to investigate causation, impact, outcomes and interventions among farming populations, the overall emphasis has been disproportionately weighted away from the experiences of women. This systematic scoping review determines the prevalence of topics, identifies the target populations and geographical locations of studies, outlines methodological approaches to the subject area, and summarizes the key findings and conclusions of the available literature.

METHODS

With the guidance of the Arksey and O'Malley framework for conducting a scoping review, a single database search for publications focusing on the health and well-being of women in farming (including primary farmers, members of farm households, and farmworkers), in the Global North, published between 1990 and 2023, was conducted. Data were organized, thematically coded, critically appraised and analyzed using the systematic review online tool CADIMA.

RESULTS

In total, 93 studies met the inclusion criteria for full review. The majority of studies were conducted in the United States, with the number of publications steadily increasing since the 1990s. Of studies, 68% were wholly quantitative in nature, and 23% wholly qualitative. Key findings suggest women are at particular risk from certain illnesses associated with some aspects of agricultural work and face a number of stressors (including gender-specific issues) that can lower well-being, but evidence is scarce in a number of areas. Clear gaps in research exist in relation to reproductive health, caring responsibilities, or help-seeking and support. Women primary farmer and farmworkers are particularly neglected as study cohorts.

CONCLUSION

Numbers of studies related to the health and well-being of women in farming are still relatively small in comparison with the wider body of related literature, and there exists an obvious need for further studies with a specific emphasis on particular cohorts, issues pertaining to the contemporary climate, and issues specific to women, as well as greater geographical reach. By emphasizing such research gaps, opportunities exist to improve the health and well-being situation of women in agriculture through more explicit studies with the intention of developing more effective, targeted solutions.

Youth's (Un)willingness to work in agriculture sector

Work in agriculture is a significant area of research that highlights the problem of the integration of young people in the former, in particular, in the recent period. Work in agriculture is hard and not prestigious, and young people tend to leave rural areas in the search for alternative activities in urban areas. The study addresses the problem of how the youth should be integrated into agricultural workforce by focusing on identification of the reasons behind the (un)willingness to work in agriculture. The aim of the study is to assess the reasons behind the youth's (un)willingness of work in agriculture, using Lithuania as the case study. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire designed to investigate the perception and opinions toward work in agriculture. The Binary Logistic Regression was used to identify the factors affecting the youth's opinion about (un)willingness to work in agriculture. The study analyzed 430 young people 's responses to the questionnaires survey. The BLR has revealed that youth's unwillingness to work in agriculture is mostly affected by gender, area of residence and youths' beliefs that work in agriculture does not provide any opportunities for self-realization. In summary, this paper argues that the major motivation to work in agriculture is associated with having parents who are engaged in agricultural activities, love of animals and natural environment, and the availability of specialized training. The findings have confirmed the need to attract young people to work in agriculture. Its results are necessary for the scientific community, policy makers, farmers, and practitioners exploring the possibilities for integration of the youth into the agricultural workforce.

Livelihood Capitals, Income Inequality, and the Perception of Climate Change: A Case Study of Small-Scale Cattle Farmers in the Ecuadorian Andes

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of 2015 identify poverty, growth, and inequality as three key areas of intervention towards the UN 2030 Agenda for human well-being and sustainability. Herein, the predominant objectives are: (a) To determine the poverty groups by quintiles through the cattle income in households of small milk producers; (b) To characterize rural livelihoods by using capital theory; and (c) To assess the perception of climate change (CC) and the willingness to accept adaptation as well as mitigation measures. The current study was performed in communities that are located in the Ecuadorian Andes, where some 178 surveys were conducted with indigenous Kichwa and mestizo heads of households. From the total net income determined, five groups were organized. The Lorenz curve was applied as a general indicator of the relative inequality, as well as the Gini coefficient (G). On the basis of the theory of capital, the human, social, natural, physical, and financial characteristics were determined, and seven variables were considered to evaluate the perception and willingness to accept mitigation and adaptation actions of the given quintiles. The result of the Gini coefficient was 0.52, which indicates that the poorest 20% of the population only receives 3.40% of the income, while the richest 20% of the quintile obtain about 54% of the total income. It is evident that most producers know little about CC, but that they are willing to receive strengthening programs. Therefore, it is essential to establish strategic guidelines from public policy in order to reduce inequality and to improve the social welfare of producers, with a transversal axis in the strengthening of the capacities on the impact, mitigation, and adaptation to CC, as well as the provision of several tools, such as access to climate information.

Are women neglected in the EU agriculture? Evidence from Lithuanian young farmers

The agriculture in Eastern Europe has seen a number of economic and social transitions. This research examines the gender inequality in agriculture by taking the case of an Eastern European country - Lithuania - as an example. The questionnaire survey was employed in order to check the existence of gender inequality. The study focuses on the young farmers as they are more likely to implement innovations and shape the future agricultural activities. The demand for advisory services and participation in the Common Agricultural Policy measures were used to compare the activities and perceptions of men and women young farmers. We found that there are no significant differences in participation of support measures and demand for advisory services across the genders. This suggests Lithuanian agricultural sector is equally beneficial for men and women young farmers. Given the differences in the educational background, a positive effect is anticipated if women were more empowered in Lithuanian agriculture. Women's participation in agriculture could increase environmental awareness, propensity to innovate and economic resilience.