Transcript File

Climate Change, gender and
food security
Kulthoum Omari
Heinrich Boell Stiftung- Southern Africa
Introduction
• Food security is met when ‘all people, at all times, have
physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and
nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food
preferences for an active and healthy life’
• More than enough food is produced per capita to feed the
global population, yet about 870 million people remained
hungry in 2012
• 60% more food will be needed by 2050 given current food
consumption trends and no reduction in food waste
• Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of food
insecure people, with an estimated regional average of
26.8% of the population undernourished in 2010-2012
Climate change and food security
• Climate change- affect all four dimensions of food security –
availability, accessibility, utilisation and systems stability (FAO,
2008)
• The impacts of climate change on food systems are expected
to be widespread, complex, geographically and temporally
variable & influenced by socio-economic conditions.
• Current pledges to limiting emissions by 2020 leads to global
temperature increases of 3.5-4 degrees by 2100- compared to
2 degrees which would poses major challenges to Africa
• With 4 dg warming, annual precipitation expected to decrease
by 30% in Southern Africa and reduction in groundwater
recharge rates of 50-70%
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYv6XqPWnQE
Climate change on food security cont…
• 4 Degrees warming, arid land increase by 4% by 2100
• Crop production- optimal growing temperatures
exceeded and growing seasons shortened
• At 3 degrees warming- current cultivars of maize,
millet and sorghum may no longer be suitable for
present day cropping areas
• Southern Africa- maize decline by 20-35%, wheat 1020% by 2030
• Livestock production- affected by feed quality,
availability of water, increased diseases
Food security and gender
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Food security pillars- availability, access & utilization
Access to food- quality and quantity at ALL TIMES
Chronic, seasonal and transitorily food insecure
at all times- Makes risk and vulnerability an
important aspect of food security concept
• Food security- needs to focus beyond agriculture,
towards broader consideration and improving human
capital, livelihoods assets and focus on gender
equality (World bank 2007)
Some definitions
• Gender- refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities,
attributes and expectation that a given society considers appropriate for
men and women.
- difference between gender and sex???
• Patriarchy- a social system in which males are the primary authority
figures central to social organization, occupy roles of political leadership,
moral authority and control of property, and where fathers hold authority
over women and children
• Gender equality- women having the same opportunities in life as men,
including the ability to participate in the public sphere
• Gender equity- the equivalence in life outcomes for women and men,
recognising their different needs and interests, and requiring a
redistribution of power and resources
Gender and food security
• Improvements in agricultural productivity are necessary- however
insufficient to ensure food security
• Women are key players in agricultural sector- Sub Saharan Africa,
Middle East and North Africa. Supply labour and control sale/use
of food- however decision making mostly lies with men
• Women and men have unique experiences/ perspectives and
understanding of local agrobiodiversity- custodians of the
environment. Women in Rwanda- more effective in selecting
improved varieties for local cultivation. Also soil fertility
• Agricultural technology transfer- women often excludedassumptions- do not meet their needs. Zambia- Hybrid variety
requiring hammer mills vs traditional mills. How men/women
perceive benefits is important
• In poorer areas where infrastructure is lacking for the
perishables- local agriculture determines food diversity- which
will lack nutrients- the poor (women and children) most affected
by lack of nutrients in diet- hidden hunger
• Choice of crops and level of productivity- influenced by policies
that govern agricultural production and social protection (that
reduce risk to extreme events)- disaster strategies etc
• Food insecurity has a rural face- most food grown in rural areas
yet rural poor (eg women) are net food buyers- economic access
to markets or lack thereof- important determinant of food
insecurity
• Role of agriculture in income generation for women is more
important for food security than its role in food production
• The asymmetries in ownership, access and control of livelihood
assets–land, water, energy, credit, knowledge & labour affect
women’s food production
Land rights and gender
• Southern African women- already face inequitable distribution and tenure
insecurity.
• Land- women less likely to own land. Ghana- 10%. Average- men own 3
times women’s land holding
• Tenure insecurity compromises decision making on crop choices and
agricultural production- less political capital Increase for demand of land by
gov and private sector- women losing their territories, resources and
livelihoods- compounding their vulnerabilities
• Discrimination in land ownership under customary (patriachial society) and
statutory law
• Under statutory tenure, the law does not discriminate against women in
terms of obtaining land rights. In practice, women do not have land rights
because of socio-economic obstacles- Illiteracy and lack of capital make it
difficult
• The lack of land rights by women threatens their living conditions, their
economic empowerment, their physical security, food security and their
struggle for equity and equality within a patriarchal society.
Food security and gender
• Governance- equal participation of men and women in
decision making level. It is these decisions that help to
shape the perceptions of roles of women in society and
their access to rights and resources. Contribute to
gender equality. Eg- UNFCCC, National Implementing
Entities, VDC
• Women less access to credit and inputs- women make
14% of borrowers from commercial banks. Most banks
require wage earners or property owners to provide
acceptable collateral. Only 5% of women have meaningful
access to extension services
• Access to energy- FHH- energy poverty (access and
cost)- and therefore travel long distances
Recommendations
Food security strategies will not be effective without
addressing the underlying factors of existing systemic
inequality and equity.
• Women still excluded from decision making on NR- eg
representation in formal and informal institutions. Women still
lack land rights. Unequal power relations. Need to ensure rights of
women are ensured, non-discriminatory access to resources and
equitable participation in decision making processes. Understand
and redress inequities based on gender
Women’s agrobiodiversity knowledge – documented and
integrated into strategies and national policy .
• Failure to target both sexes in food security interventions results
inevitably in loss of knowledge of local and weak international
relevance
The role of CSOs that represent the voiceless- Internationally
and nationally (somewhat uncoordinated and contradictory
efforts)
 the environmental justice movement generally lacks cohesion and
a shared political perspective. Environmental struggles been
fragmented, but social justice organisations have not generally
included an environmental component- include GBV etc
Human rights based approach to climate change and food
security• Not just a technological-scientific phenomenon- focus on human
impacts and capabilities. Right to adequate Food as a human right
–biofuel production might exacerbate food insecurity and land
insecurity for women.
• Lesson learnt- food security interventions and
livelihoods are more efficient, cost effective and
timely when gender based differences and gender
differentiated impacts are understood and
addressed.
• Improving women’s productivity in agricultureincreases food availability and raises women’s
income
If women famers where given the same access to
resources as men, women’s agricultural yields could
increase by 20-30%; national agricultural
production could rise by 2.5-4% and the number of
malnourished people could reduced by 12-17%
Source FAO 2011
Thank you