Feminization of Agriculture in Rapid Changing China: Policy Implication and Alternatives for an equitable growth and sustainable development

Transcription

1 Feminization of Agriculture in Rapid Changing China: Policy Implication and Alternatives for an equitable growth and sustainable development By Yiching Song, Linxiu Zhang etc Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Science Presented at the FAO-IFAD-ILO Workshop on Gaps, trends and current research in gender dimensions of agricultural and rural employment: differentiated pathways out of poverty Rome, 31 March - 2 April 2009

2 Feminization of Agriculture and Aging agriculture 2004: 62% of the HHs were factual women-headed HH, Av age 42.7 years 2006: Women composed 74.7 of the farming labor force 2008: Women was 78% of the agricultural laborers, Ave age of 50 years

3 Migration situation in the last two decades MOST families NOW have a job in the off farm sector Total labors in China: 800 mil, Total Rural labors: 500 mil: Total rural Migrants: 280 mil: Percent of Rural Households with Member Working Off Farm mil Migrants and 140 mil part time off farm laborers

4 Gender difference in off-farm employment 35% 30% Male Female 40% 35% Male Female 25% 30% 20% 25% 15% 10% 5% 0% % 15% 10% 5% 0% Migration Part-time off-farm

5 Issues: -Farming women have difficulty access to productive assets and services, especially in poor and remote areas -Public institutional support to farming women is insufficient & inappropriate e.g. credit, technology, market information etc -Inequality, Poverty, food security

6 Rural poverty incidence in China, (Percent of Population) Under official poverty line Under $1/day in PPP millions extreme poor($0.5/day) Around 100 million low income group($1/day) About 6 to 7 percent in 2007

7 Also rising inequality: Within Rural Areas Average:330%; Bottom 10%:180%; Top 10%:407% Average Rural per capita incomes (Yuan) Botton 10% Top 10%

8 Main Findings in 3 SW Provinces (1): Changing livelihood patterns: (farming income, migration statue etc) Transforming subsistence farming (55-70% HH) Traditional subsistence farming (10-25% HH) Professional (specialized) farming (3-10% HH) Non-Farming (3-10%migrated already HH)

9 Main Findings (2): Process of de-peasantisation: increasing migration and part time off farm job Income increase, yet gap also increased less income proportion from agriculture, lower value and interest in Agriculture and food production Lower labor input and investment in agriculture/food production ( e.g. house, child education, small business etc) giving up traditional intensive farming (inter cropping, double crops etc), mono-cropping, dependency on pesticides and fertilisers, losing of biodiversity, TK and Traditional culture and community

10 Main Findings: -Women and old people are becoming primary day-to-day cultivators and manager of agriculture and food production -Women s constraints in productive assets e.g. land, and productive services e.g. credit, new technology, market information etc

11 Land tenure Household responsibility-in 80s, equal Distribution of land Gender discrimination appears: Re-adjustments and no adjustments with demographical changes Marital status change As land value increase Land Contracting Law 2006, further enhance the existing inequality trends The remote and mountainous provinces.. Example: in 53 HHs, 26 married women and their children have no land in the village in 2008

12 Good Practices: Research Action Research and policy experiments for -Participatory Research and Extension services -Farmer organization supporting -social and Gender analysis.. Actions in Field: -women group and organization strengthening -women credit group for IG -Value adding to TK & local products -PPB and seed production, organic farming and marketing etc

13 Policy Implications and Recommendations: Gender sensitiveness in current agriculture and poverty alleviation policies and efforts; Policy attention and mechanisms for enhancing women s productive assets like land tenure and their access to productive services i.e. credit, technology, market information etc. Reforming the agricultural R&D and extension services towards a small farmer oriented, gender sensitive and client demand driven services Enhance women s groups and organizations through supporting policies, like specific credit for women group and organization and trainings in leadership and organization management etc.

14 On-going Policy Researches and Experiments in addressing the issues: PPB and biodiversity enhancement (with CAAS and SEPA etc) Research and Extension Reform (MOA) Farmers Organization Strengthening (MOA, CAU) SAGA and Gender Capacity Building

15 提问 Questions? 提问 Questions? 谢谢 /xiexie/ Thanks!