FAO has developed a programme of work entitled “Promoting gender-equitable and inclusive primary agriculture investments that contribute to enhance food security, reduce poverty and strengthen the livelihoods of poor rural women and men”, which aims to:
• generate knowledge, raise awareness and inform policy-making processes about the gender- differentiated implications of land-related investments;
• highlight good practices in terms of gender-sensitive business models and strategies that have positive implications for rural employment and income-generating activities for both women and men; and
• foster constructive dialogue among policy-makers, local government authorities, rural organizations and the private sector so that more gender-equitable investments can be secured.
Within this program a series of case studies have been carried out in countries such as Tanzania, Ghana, Zambia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone and Laos. The attached report entitled “Gender opportunities and constraints in inclusive agribusiness models The case study of Unifrutti in Mindanao, Philippines” is part of this series. In common with the other country studies, the Philippines study sheds light on the extent to which:
• Investments/businesses have gender-differentiated implications with respect to labour and income generating opportunities for small scale farmers and wage workers directly involved in
and/or affected by these initiatives;
• Schemes affect poor rural women and men differently in their access, use and control of land;
• Business models provide examples of good practice in relation to employment and land which can be used as models for regulatory frameworks for investment and policy-making; and
• The investment and agricultural policies and strategies in place support the establishment of land-related investments that are inclusive of local populations and conducive to rural development, while being sensitive to gender and equity concerns.
The cases analysed in this report show that the investment models and contractual arrangements implemented by a major private company producer, processor and exporter of pineapple and banana in the Mindanao Region in Philippines- have had positive implications for the livelihood of the rural communities involved. However, the study also demonstrates that women and men have not equally benefitted from the investment opportunities. An important lesson learned is that gender neutral practices and approaches do not necessarily lead to gender equitable results. Instead, both investment schemes and policy frameworks need to recognize and address the differentiate needs and priorities of women and men to ensure more gender equitable distribution of benefits.
Report available here