Trees to erase disparities

We have often talked about how sustainable agricultural practices are necessary both for farmers and the environment. In particular, agroforestry represents a "win-win": healthier soil and proper management of natural resources ensure abundant yields and more resilient ecosystems. For farmers, it means a more stable income, reduced food insecurity, and benefits for families and communities.

However, one crucial piece is missing: agricultural sustainability is not limited to ecological aspects, and without social justice, it remains incomplete. It is possible to produce food in environmentally sustainable ways while still having a deeply unjust agri-food system. This is why it is necessary to develop agroecological systems that address all aspects transversally: soil health, community well-being, and supply chain sustainability.

Ignoring social injustices, such as gender inequality, means promoting ecologically valid but socially incomplete agriculture.

And ignoring them should be difficult: women play a crucial role in agri-food systems; in 2021, women made up about 38% of the global agricultural workforce, and in 22 countries, this percentage exceeds 50%, most of which are in Sub-Saharan Africa (FAO, 2023). However, their employment status in this field differs from that of men: women are more likely to work as family helpers, dependent on male farmers. This is because they face greater difficulties in accessing resources such as land, credit, or training, hindering their autonomy.

Women also have lower participation in decision-making processes; for example, many rural women around the world do not have land ownership rights or access to decisions regarding its management. Often, land is controlled by husbands, or women are excluded from inheritance. Without ownership or decision-making power, women have fewer opportunities and incentives to invest in innovative agroecological methods (IFAD, 2023).

As the more vulnerable part of many communities, women face greater risks related to climate change effects and food insecurity. In 2021, 31.9% of women experienced moderate or severe food insecurity compared to 27.6% of men, with a gap of over four percentage points (FAO, 2022). Various factors negatively affect women more; with the effects of climate change, their workload increases, and family resources decrease, exacerbating gender inequalities. Engaging men in redistributing work and supporting women's empowerment in agroecological practices can improve the well-being of families and entire communities.

There is enormous potential in rebalancing this system. Some examples include (Agroecology Coalition, 2025):

• Women have greater access to diversified seeds and organic fertilizers, promoting biodiversity conservation and the resilience of agroecosystems.

• Their enhanced skills in food processing and transformation improve dietary diversity and community nutrition while preserving culinary traditions.

• Ensuring their land ownership rights and full access to agroecological markets could strengthen their economic independence, encouraging active participation in decision-making processes, making them more equitable and diverse.

Ecosystem protection, economic well-being, and food security would all benefit from reducing the gender gap (FAO, 2023).

How can we support these processes? At Treedom, we firmly believe that agroecology, and more specifically agroforestry, are powerful tools for promoting gender justice in rural communities. In fact, we work to promote these very principles. A concrete example is the project developed in collaboration with Amka in Guatemala, in the Huehuetenango region, where 80 women coffee growers are gaining greater economic autonomy and recognition for their work. Traditionally, despite being essential to the production process, women did not have direct access to earnings and had to rely on their husbands for any expenses.

The Doña Lucero Coffee project was created to change this reality, ensuring fair compensation for the growers, with earnings increasing by almost 50% compared to the local selling price. Participants receive technical training, agricultural materials, and assistance to improve coffee cultivation and processing. Beyond economic support, the project aims to strengthen awareness of the role of women in the coffee production chain—traditionally male-dominated—promoting autonomous resource management and encouraging a fairer distribution of labor within communities.

This is just one example of how agroforestry can become a concrete tool for gender equality and the development of fairer, more sustainable agri-food systems.

If you want to join us in creating a lasting impact, you can do it now!

[1]FAO. 2023. World Food and Agriculture – Statistical Yearbook 2023. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8166en
[2]IFAD. 2023. How to do: Design of gender transformative smallholder agriculture adaptation. Rome. https://www.ifad.org/documents/d/new-ifad.org/how-to-do-design-of-gender-transformative-smallholder-agriculture-adaptation-pd
[3]FAO. 2022. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022. Rome. https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0639en
[4]Agroecology Coalition. 2025. Deep Dive into Gender and Agroecology. https://agroecology-coalition.org/deep-dive-into-gender-and-agroecology/
[5]UNRIC. https://unric.org/it/nuovo-rapporto-fao-la-parita-di-genere-nei-sistemi-agroalimentari-vale-1-000-miliardi-di-dollari-per-leconomia-globale-e-puo-salvare-45-milioni-di-persone-dallinsicurezza-alimentare/