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New Possibilities for Women’s Empowerment through Agroecology in Himachal Pradesh, India

Author

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  • Punam Behl

    (Department of International Development, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK)

  • Henny Osbahr

    (Department of International Development, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK)

  • Sarah Cardey

    (Department of International Development, School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AR, UK)

Abstract

In 2018, the state of Himachal Pradesh in north India launched an initiative to convert all its farmers to natural farming (NF), an agroecological approach. The aim was to address multiple challenges related to rural livelihoods, high input costs, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. This paper is based on a qualitative case study of the state programme to transition farmers to NF. It seeks to understand how its mechanisms support and empower small and marginal women farmers. In addition to identifying mechanisms that facilitate the effective uptake of NF, the case study sought women’s views on whether these mechanisms increased spaces for decision making and developed capabilities and autonomy. Framed within the vision of reclaiming food sovereignty, various mechanisms such as training in villages, participating in NF groups and networks, visits to model farms, and adopting leadership roles offered new pathways for women farmers to gain confidence and capabilities. Women began to participate in spaces that had been culturally and structurally denied to them. This case study demonstrates how agroecology initiatives, with a particular emphasis on gender, can offer women various opportunities for decision making, income generation, and creative expression. These initiatives also expand community agency and enable the acquisition of knowledge necessary for sustainable ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Punam Behl & Henny Osbahr & Sarah Cardey, 2023. "New Possibilities for Women’s Empowerment through Agroecology in Himachal Pradesh, India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-23, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:140-:d:1305791
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bina Agarwal & Pervesh Anthwal & Malvika Mahesh, 2021. "How Many and Which Women Own Land in India? Inter-gender and Intra-gender Gaps," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(11), pages 1807-1829, November.
    2. Alberto Alonso-Fradejas & Saturnino M. Borras & Todd Holmes & Eric Holt-Giménez & Martha Jane Robbins, 2015. "Food sovereignty: convergence and contradictions, conditions and challenges," Third World Quarterly, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 431-448, March.
    3. Cristian Timmermann & Georges Félix, 2015. "Agroecology as a vehicle for contributive justice," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(3), pages 523-538, September.
    4. Itishree Pattnaik & Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt & Stewart Lockie & Bill Pritchard, 2018. "The feminization of agriculture or the feminization of agrarian distress? Tracking the trajectory of women in agriculture in India," Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 138-155, January.
    5. Colin Ray Anderson & Janneke Bruil & Michael Jahi Chappell & Csilla Kiss & Michel Patrick Pimbert, 2019. "From Transition to Domains of Transformation: Getting to Sustainable and Just Food Systems through Agroecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-28, September.
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