The FCO-backed report examines the relationship between gender and climate change in three sectors that rely significantly on women’s labour.
According to the Kenyan study, more women farmers work in agriculture than in other parts of the supply chain such as transportation and processing.
Decarbonization
Accelerating the adoption of climate-smart agriculture by women farmers thus provides a clear path to decarbonization in the short term.
The research also looked at a three-year training program in India called the Primark Sustainable Cotton Program, which covered sustainable farming techniques such as seed selection, sowing, soil, water, pesticide, and pest management
When compared to a group of control farmers, female farmers used 40% less fertilizer, 44% less pesticide, and 10% less water. They also saw a 200% increase in cotton profit over the control farmers.
Female workforce
The agricultural sector accounts for one-third of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change and therefore has a big role to play in tackling the climate crisis.
The report proposes several potential opportunities that exist to support women’s economic empowerment while simultaneously building more climate-resilient and decarbonized agricultural supply chains.
Amanda Blanc, CEO of the Aviva Group, said: “We can’t solve the climate crisis without involving women. And we won’t create equality for women unless we address the climate crisis. With so much at stake, it is negligent beyond belief to ignore the impact on half the world’s population and the contribution women can make.”
Mars’ Lisa Manley, vice president of sustainability, stated that the company has a long history of supporting climate action and gender equality. “As we move forward with our Net-Zero Commitment and Cocoa for Generations plan, it is clear that the two issues are inextricably linked.” “Women are critical to climate mitigation and resilience, and they are disproportionately impacted by climate change risks,” she added.
