Women, food security and agriculture in a global marketplace: A significant shift

New directions in development assistance and agricultural investments must recognize and support women's involvement in the full agricultural value chain from production to processing to marketing. This report reviews current thinking and practice on increasing agricultural productivity, both subsistence and commercial agriculture, and examines what is known about women's roles in both sectors.

First and foremost, the development community—and increasingly the private sector—must recognize women as farmers and agents of economic change. Detailed recommendations for achieving these
goals include:

• implement gender-responsive approaches to improve productivity in subsistence farming
• improve knowledge about women in commercial agriculture
• engender policies and practices of agribusinesses