Gender researchers from around the world converged at Penn State in June to discuss the importance of incorporating gender concepts into international agricultural research.
Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences' Gender, Agriculture and Environment Initiative, the events kicked off June 6-7 with the initiative's inaugural event, the Gender, Agriculture and Environment Symposium, which provided participants with an opportunity to learn from gender researchers and practitioners who are leaders in gender scholarship and policies.
Symposium sessions addressed how gender intersects with factors such as climate change, land and water use, biodiversity, access to agricultural value chains and technologies, sustainable agriculture practices, and divisions of labor.
Following the symposium, many attendees remained at Penn State for the Gender Research and Integrated Training program, a three-week series of workshops led by faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences. The training is funded by a two-year grant from the CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers. The CGIAR Consortium consists of 15 centers around the world.
The Penn State project supports the consortium's gender strategy, which commits CGIAR research programs to develop agricultural technologies, farming systems and policies to support rural women in improving agricultural productivity and their livelihoods.
"Ensuring that agricultural innovation benefits poor women and men requires investments at different levels," said project leader Carolyn Sachs, professor of rural sociology and women's studies. "Generating a greater body of gender research expertise among young scientists is critical for achieving that goal."
She noted that all CGIAR research programs are required to have an approved strategy for integrating gender into research. Through its cross-program Gender and Agriculture Research Network, CGIAR supports strategic research to deepen understanding of how gender disparities and gender relations affect agricultural innovation, productivity and sustainability. The network facilitates the integration of gender analysis into research on a variety of thematic areas including plant breeding, climate change adaptation and integrated pest management.