Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature

Of the world’s 570 million farmers, 72% work on two hectares or less, and women’s labor comprises at least 50% (FAO, 2014). Small farms are responsible for 80% of world food production, making them key to addressing looming global food shortages (Lowder et al., 2016). Small farms in developing count...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: McGuire, Erin, Rietveld, Anne M., Crump, Amanda, Leeuwis, Cees
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/118207
_version_ 1855542211175776256
author McGuire, Erin
Rietveld, Anne M.
Crump, Amanda
Leeuwis, Cees
author_browse Crump, Amanda
Leeuwis, Cees
McGuire, Erin
Rietveld, Anne M.
author_facet McGuire, Erin
Rietveld, Anne M.
Crump, Amanda
Leeuwis, Cees
author_sort McGuire, Erin
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Of the world’s 570 million farmers, 72% work on two hectares or less, and women’s labor comprises at least 50% (FAO, 2014). Small farms are responsible for 80% of world food production, making them key to addressing looming global food shortages (Lowder et al., 2016). Small farms in developing countries navigate a myriad of challenges, including access to information, quality inputs, capital, markets, and among others, land (FAO, 2014). These challenges can be exacerbated for women and other marginalized groups of people due to social normatives within their communities (Petesch, Badstue, & Prain, 2018; Polar et al., 2017; Rola‐Rubzen et al., 2020). Inclusive innovation to address agriculture productivity and loss gaps is tantamount to equitable global food security (FAO, 2014; FAO, 2011). However, many innovations still fail to help stimulate disruption in gender or social inequities, and some even do additional harm. Increasing use of an innovation, referred to as ‘scaling,' is critical to impact at a community or regional level, and is often seen as necessary to support Agriculture Research for Development (AR4D) outcomes (Sartas et al., 2020). Several scaling support tools and methodologies have been developed to assist researchers and practitioners in scaling processes. However, little practical attention has been given to the specific cross-section of gender and relevant diversity within scaling tools and methodologies. This narrative literature review begins to address this by answering: 1) What are unique gender considerations when scaling agricultural innovations?; and 2) What are appropriate methods and approaches for collecting data on these unique gender considerations? Our review finds six points of attention to reflect upon unique gender considerations when innovating and scaling innovation: i) Comprising research and project teams, ii) Designing agricultural innovations, iii) Communicating and extension of innovation, iv) Choosing scale models: entrepreneurship and business development, v) Reinventing and changing technology, and vi) Engaging with the political economy of innovation. Methods to collect necessary data to accurately reflect on these considerations and avoid unintended negative consequences for more gender responsible scaling are also presented. Finally, the literature review is situated in a perspective that more attention should be given to agricultural innovation and scaling support tools and methodologies to address gender or socially marginalized groups.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace118207
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2022
publishDateRange 2022
publishDateSort 2022
publisher Elsevier
publisherStr Elsevier
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1182072025-11-11T19:08:46Z Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature McGuire, Erin Rietveld, Anne M. Crump, Amanda Leeuwis, Cees gender equality appropriate technology innovation systems data collection literature reviews igualdad de género tecnología apropiada sistemas de innovación Of the world’s 570 million farmers, 72% work on two hectares or less, and women’s labor comprises at least 50% (FAO, 2014). Small farms are responsible for 80% of world food production, making them key to addressing looming global food shortages (Lowder et al., 2016). Small farms in developing countries navigate a myriad of challenges, including access to information, quality inputs, capital, markets, and among others, land (FAO, 2014). These challenges can be exacerbated for women and other marginalized groups of people due to social normatives within their communities (Petesch, Badstue, & Prain, 2018; Polar et al., 2017; Rola‐Rubzen et al., 2020). Inclusive innovation to address agriculture productivity and loss gaps is tantamount to equitable global food security (FAO, 2014; FAO, 2011). However, many innovations still fail to help stimulate disruption in gender or social inequities, and some even do additional harm. Increasing use of an innovation, referred to as ‘scaling,' is critical to impact at a community or regional level, and is often seen as necessary to support Agriculture Research for Development (AR4D) outcomes (Sartas et al., 2020). Several scaling support tools and methodologies have been developed to assist researchers and practitioners in scaling processes. However, little practical attention has been given to the specific cross-section of gender and relevant diversity within scaling tools and methodologies. This narrative literature review begins to address this by answering: 1) What are unique gender considerations when scaling agricultural innovations?; and 2) What are appropriate methods and approaches for collecting data on these unique gender considerations? Our review finds six points of attention to reflect upon unique gender considerations when innovating and scaling innovation: i) Comprising research and project teams, ii) Designing agricultural innovations, iii) Communicating and extension of innovation, iv) Choosing scale models: entrepreneurship and business development, v) Reinventing and changing technology, and vi) Engaging with the political economy of innovation. Methods to collect necessary data to accurately reflect on these considerations and avoid unintended negative consequences for more gender responsible scaling are also presented. Finally, the literature review is situated in a perspective that more attention should be given to agricultural innovation and scaling support tools and methodologies to address gender or socially marginalized groups. 2022-03 2022-02-22T09:21:31Z 2022-02-22T09:21:31Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/118207 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier McGuire, E.; Rietveld, A.M.; Crump, A.; Leeuwis, C. (2022) Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature. World Development Perspectives 25: 100386. 10 p. ISSN: 2452-2929
spellingShingle gender equality
appropriate technology
innovation systems
data collection
literature reviews
igualdad de género
tecnología apropiada
sistemas de innovación
McGuire, Erin
Rietveld, Anne M.
Crump, Amanda
Leeuwis, Cees
Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature
title Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature
title_full Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature
title_fullStr Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature
title_full_unstemmed Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature
title_short Anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture: Insights from the literature
title_sort anticipating gender impacts in scaling innovations for agriculture insights from the literature
topic gender equality
appropriate technology
innovation systems
data collection
literature reviews
igualdad de género
tecnología apropiada
sistemas de innovación
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/118207
work_keys_str_mv AT mcguireerin anticipatinggenderimpactsinscalinginnovationsforagricultureinsightsfromtheliterature
AT rietveldannem anticipatinggenderimpactsinscalinginnovationsforagricultureinsightsfromtheliterature
AT crumpamanda anticipatinggenderimpactsinscalinginnovationsforagricultureinsightsfromtheliterature
AT leeuwiscees anticipatinggenderimpactsinscalinginnovationsforagricultureinsightsfromtheliterature