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The Routledge Handbook of Gender and Agriculture covers major theoretical issues as well as critical empirical shifts in gender and agriculture Gender relations in agriculture are shifting in most regions of the world with changes in the structure of agriculture, the organization of production, international restructuring of value chains, climate change, the global pandemic, and national and multinational policy changes This book provides a cutting-edge assessment of the field of gender and agriculture, with contributions from both leading scholars and up-and-coming academics as well as policymakers and practitioners The handbook is organized into four parts: part 1, institutions, markets, and policies;part 2, land, labor, and agrarian transformations;part 3, knowledge, methods, and access to information;and part 4, farming people and identities The last chapter is an epilogue from many of the contributors focusing on gender, agriculture, and shifting food systems during the coronavirus pandemic The chapters address both historical subjects as well as ground-breaking work on gender and agriculture, which will help to chart the future of the field The handbook has an international focus with contributions examining issues at both the global and local levels with contributors from across the world With contributions from leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners, and with a global outlook, the Routledge Handbook of Gender and Agriculture is an essential reference volume for scholars, students, and practitioners interested in gender and agriculture © 2021 selection and editorial matter, Carolyn E Sachs, Leif Jensen, Paige Castellanos, and Kathleen Sexsmith

The eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains in India are dominated by small farms, low levels of agricultural mechanization, irrigation and consequently low productivity and incomes. Even though women have traditionally contributed large proportions of agricultural labour in these farming systems, their contributions have remained invisible. The current study was designed to understand the gender dynamics, particularly gendered participation in a rice value chain over a period of 10 years. It was conducted in 2015 in three states of eastern India – Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. The results, based on a survey of 1484 women farmers reveal that while men continue to participate in activities along the chain, the participation of woman exhibits a declining trend except in post-harvest activities and marketing. The results also established a change in norms and perceptions of women and, their control over decision making. The study concludes that even though we see decreased women’s participation in agricultural activities except post-harvest and marketing and increased decision-making authority, but the question arises, does it truly reflect that women are now having emerging opportunities to ‘decide’.

Social structures, as embodied in traditions, institutions, moral codes, and norms, shape the different roles of men and women in the diverse contexts of Sub-Saharan Africa. The study investigated the influence of ‘kinship structure’ in shaping gendered differences in groundnut production in Malawi. Depending on region, Malawian communities have unique matrilineal and patrilineal kinships where land and land rights are passed through either female or male lineages. Data were collected in three districts in Malawi, where groundnut is farmed, but where the kindship structures differ. We show that kinship structures shape household headship, which in turn shapes access to and control of resources, women’s and men’s agency, and groundnut production outcomes. Key findings show that cultural norms through kinship structures of patriarchal and matrilineal lineages are still key institutions that determine gender roles and influence intra-household power relations in all three districts. These kinship structures shape residency and household headship which in turn uniquely shape women’s and men’s agency, further determining gendered productivity differentials. Kinship systems further lead to gender-specific and gender-intensified constraints that are systemic for both men and women. Feminisation of agriculture is on the rise in the southern region of Malawi due to out-migration of men to South Africa. Lastly, an untapped youth dividend exists that can boost overall groundnut productivity. To rationalise development interventions, we recommend efforts that are informed by local realities and social structures, as well as their implications for the development agenda.