Developing women farmer inclusive agricultural extension services systems

Developing Women Farmer Inclusive Agricultural Extension Services Systems.

Agricultural Extension Services (AES) systems play an important role in ensuring participation of women farmers and ensuring they benefit from the nutritional value of their produce. Women farmers’ awareness of nutritional implications of food systems, and their participation in agricultural extension services contribute to food and nutrition security at household level. Food and nutrition security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to food. It exists when they are able to consume it in both sufficient quantity and quality to meet their dietary needs and food preferences, and they are supported by an environment of adequate sanitation, health services, and care, allowing for a healthy and active life (FAO 1996). 

Kenyan Women with Nutritious Crops. Photo: USAID

Characteristics of Agricultural Extension Services systems that ignore women farmers

Agricultural Extension Services systems that are not carefully developed ignore women farmers’ needs and limit their participation. Some of the elements of such systems include concentration on mono cropping that promote market driven incentives; tolerance of culturally influenced restriction of consumption of certain types of food; focusing on market value of principle crops rather than the nutritional value; tolerance of cultural norms that restrict women; emphasizing priorities for men, among others.

An increase in production of nutrition-rich crops, and the associated decrease in prices at market value, is one frequently cited mechanism to ensure greater consumption. When production is concentrated on a limited number of staple crops incentivized by the market- and sometimes due to biased research, EAS, and policy orientation that favors them, diversifying production may eliminate the price distortions that can result from induced scarcity in neglected nutritious crops.

Some cultural practices dictate that a certain gender or group of people especially women and children, should not consume certain types of food. This restricts women and children from benefitting from the nutritional value of the food they are restricted from consuming. Incorporating change of mindset of farmers on cultural practices as well as creating awareness to ensure appreciation of nutritional value of produce whose consumption is culturally restricted, can help achieve food and nutrition security.

Incorporating monitoring and evaluation tools with indicators to track for women farmers’ inclusion

Review of AES systems is important to ensure that they are gender sensitive. Essentially measuring gender integration should be incorporated into AES systems. The process should include review of monitoring and evaluation tools and processes to ensure inclusion of gender and nutrition indicators to track for women farmers’ level of inclusion in agricultural extension services. The results of such evaluations should inform the review of AES systems to ensure they do not ignore women. It is also important to ensure that men are trained in how to reach women farmers as a way of increasing the inclusion of women.


Carefully designed AES systems should ensure women farmers participate and increase their awareness of nutritional implications of their food systems. These systems should have characteristics that improve nutrition through an increase in access and quality of nutritious foods, and ensure that the agricultural sector pay more attention to activities at the intersection of production and consumption.

By Simon Wandila, Social Reporter. INGENAES Global Symposium and Learning Exchange. January, 2017. Lusaka, Zambia