The Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) has called for increased scrutiny on ways to tackle the gender gap in agriculture around the world.

Under the banner of the UN International Year of Family Farming, GFAR has announced that it will be working with US-based policy group Food Tank to look into means of creating a sustainable and just food system and "tackle the complexities surrounding the global food crisis".

As part of their partnership, the two groups aim to raise awareness and understanding of the challenges faced by smallholders, and find more tangible ways of supporting family farmers. This includes challenging current agricultural demographics; in many key food-producing regions older men are over-represented in agriculture.

Particular attention will be paid to ways in which organisations, businesses and governments – which have traditionally helped to perpetuate the gender gap in many instances – are empowering women and young people, and strengthening their role in agriculture.

Addressing the ageing agricultural workforce

According to GFAR, 2.5 billion people depend on agriculture. Globally, the average age of farmers is around 55 years—in Europe, less than one-third of farmers are under 35 and in the United States 50 percent of farmers are 55 years or older. The new partnership believes that more needs to be done to create a food system that is attractive to more diverse and younger people all over the world. Announcing details of the partnership, Food Tank claimed, "It's time to cultivate the next generation of food system leaders—young farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs, agronomists, extension agents and educators, researchers and scientists, and policy-makers who can create a more sustainable food system."

GFAR Executive Secretary Mark Holderness, said, "Increased access to education means that young people can be a force for innovation on family farms, increasing incomes and well-being for not only farmers, but also local communities. Young people can develop the agricultural sector by applying new technologies to current work methods."

Closing the gender gap

Although women make up an estimated 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, they often face discrimination and lack access to resources, financial services, inputs, and education and are under-represented at the higher levels of agriculture in numerous global regions. A recent industry survey in the UK revealed that the difference in pay between men and women in agriculture is astonishing; female agricultural workers typically earn £24,000 per annum – almost £8,000 less than their male counterparts.

However, recent figures suggest that the number of women taking over farm businesses is growing in the UK, though women still only account for just over a fifth of the country's farmers, according to figures published last year by the Office for National Statistics.

Food Tank president Danielle Nierenberg commented on the impacts the gender gap in agriculture has had; "This gender inequality comes at a huge cost, not just for women, but society as a whole. Discrimination against women can undermine economic development by limiting food security for families and preventing women and girls from achieving greater opportunities in education. In addition, many agricultural research and development programs ignore the needs and hopes of women farmers."

The partners' findings will inform research, videos and social media campaigns, food Tank said last week. The groups have promised to try and strengthen the role of women and young people in agriculture and, where possible, "push for food system change" to highlight "environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty."