Presentation by Dr Ann Tutwiler, Deputy Director General, UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), at the 2012 Agriculture and Rural Development Day (ARDD) in Rio de Janiero, Learning Event No. 13, Session 1: Gender needs expressed in the State of Food and Agriculture Report 2011.

1. Gender needs expressed in the
State of Food and Agriculture
Report 2011
M. Ann Tutwiler
ARDD Learning event Deputy Director General - Knowledge
Rio de Janeiro 18 June 2012 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

2. Women are a key
resource in agriculture
Percentage
100
80
60
40
20
0
Males
Males
Males
Males
Males
Males
Females
Females
Females
Females
Females
Females
Developing Sub-Saharan Latin America East and Near East and South Asia
countries Africa and the Southeast Asia North Africa
Caribbean
Agriculture Industry Services

3. Female share of
agricultural labour force
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
East and Southeast Asia Latin America and the Caribbean
Near East and North Africa South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa

4. Bolivia
Ecuador
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Panama
Bangladesh
Indonesia
Nepal
Pakistan
Tajikistan 0
Viet Nam
Ghana
Madagascar
Malawi
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
But they control Average farm size (ha)
less land Female-headed households Male-headed households

5. Women farmers produce
less per unit of land…
Percentage Sorghum Vegetables All crops
0
-10 -21 -18
-20 -41
-30
-40
-50
Gap between yields on male- and female-controlled
plots in Burkina Faso

6. …because they use fewer
inputs (e.g. fertilizers)
Bolivia
Ecuador
Guatemala
Nicaragua
Panama
Bangladesh
Nepal
Pakistan
Tajikistan
Viet Nam
Ghana
Madagascar
Malawi
Nigeria
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Percentage of households using fertilizers
Female-headed households Male-headed households

7. Women and men have
different innovation needs
Labour-saving tech
Education
Capital-credit
IGAs
Health
Ag.inputs & tech.
Others
0 2 4 6
Women Men

8. What needs to be done:
6 priority areas
• Policy
• Legal
• Technology
• Leadership
• Social
• Knowledge & Research

9. Thank you.
M. Ann Tutwiler
Deputy Director General - Knowledge
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations