Ume et al.: Women Smallholders Build An Agroecology Food System
In Women Smallholders Build an Agroecology Food System: The Construction of Empowerment and Food Sovereignty, Chukwuma Ume, Ernst-August Nuppenau, Stéphanie Domptail (all Agricultural Policy and Market Research, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany), and Stefan Wahlen (Consumer Research, Communication and Food Sociology, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany) investigate the creation of women smallholder farmers food systems alongside the global industrial agri-food system, arguing that agroecology offers a means of supporting community wellbeing, sustainability, and rural food security.
This study focuses on interviews with twenty-nine women farmers in southern Nigeria. Interviewed participants were mostly members of an agroecology group, emphasizing an innovative, sustainable, and collaborative approach to farming. For example, the women farmers shared tools, seeds, and land. In addition, the group set up non-monetary markets where individuals traded produce.
This agroecology system helped the women in the community gain independence and control of agricultural resources. Using non-monetary systems to trade produce, seeds, and tools led to a reduction in costs. Women, therefore, were less dependent on cash, which is often controlled by and the responsibility of the men in the household. Similarly, their families had to rely less on state-sponsored programs for food and monetary assistance.
This newfound independence was apparent during COVID-19. The pandemic caused an economic downturn. However, within the agroecology groups, the food system remained stable due to the non-monetary trade. In addition, independent production of food allowed women to gain a greater say in food distribution and family nutrition.
The authors conclude that agroecology offers a pathway towards more sustainable and equitable food systems that empower community through mutual aid, shared resources, and reproductive labor. The authors urge policies that adopt an agroecology framework to create a future where sustainably produced food is an inalienable right for all.
