Why Women’s Leadership is Important in Forest and Agricultural Landscape Projects
This brief highlights the crucial role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in sustainable food and land use initiatives. Strengthening women’s leadership in agricultural and forest landscape projects leads to higher agricultural productivity and economic gains, improved ecosystem conservation and sustainability, and greater CO2 emissions reductions and resilience.
Gender-neutral programs often overlook the unique contributions and challenges faced by women, potentially undermining conservation goals and human rights. Recognizing and rewarding women’s roles is essential for achieving environmental and social sustainability. Policies and decision-making in natural resource management significantly impact rural women, influencing their daily workloads and access to essential resources like fuelwood and non-timber forest products, which are vital for household livelihoods and food security.
The Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program is a $345 million initiative supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and led by the World Bank. Seeking to transform food and land use systems the program consists of a global knowledge platform and 27 country projects targeting the production landscapes of eight commodities: beef, cocoa, corn, coffee, palm oil, rice, soy, and wheat.
