Women are being empowered by the VOA-Jary agroecology program, which is a major project to help empower rural women through sustainable agriculture. The project has an agroecological approach to farming, combined with assistance to develop skills and markets to provide rural-women farmers with a way of building strong livelihoods while also preserving their environment.
Agroecology is an approach to agriculture that uses methods of farming that work with nature instead of against it. Examples of such methods include: using organic fertilisers, preserving biodiversity, and developing climate-resilient cropping systems. All three of these approaches improve the health of soils, as well as reduce a farmer’s reliance on expensive chemical inputs.
Training Women Farmers in Climate-Smart Agriculture
The VOA-Jary agroecology project’s primary focus is building capacity. Women farmers receive practical training in composting, diversifying crops using organic pest controls, and in growing food using water-efficient practices.
Women farmers will learn to produce food that is healthy while maintaining the health of soils and the earth’s biodiversity. Many anthropologists conducting agroecological programs will use peer-learning groups to promote the sharing of knowledge and the experience of trying new sustainable practices together with each other.
Many training sessions will serve to promote women’s leadership in their community’s agricultural networks. Thus, increasing participants’ technical abilities and creating confidence will be addressed.
Strengthening Income and Market Access
Women farmers are aided as part of the primary mission of the VOA-Jary initiative by creating local producer associations to provide support for improving product quality and developing ways to sell their produce in local and regional markets.
The creation of collective marketing groups and adding value to their produce (for example, by processing, canning and packaging) gives these women the ability to sell their products at higher prices, which increases household income and helps families become more financially self-sufficient.
Additionally, encouraging women to grow a greater variety of environmentally sustainable and nutritious foods supports food security in rural communities.
Building Resilient Communities Through Agroecology
The VOA-Jary agroecological project also helps to build resilience in farmers against climate change through sustainable practices like mixed cropping and soil restoration. In addition, seed conservation protects crops from extinction and provides local varieties for farmers.
Women are key to the success of this transformation as they often have deep knowledge of the local crops and biodiversity that is essential to maintaining resilient food systems.
The research shows that the implementation of agroecological practices with women farmers has resulted in higher yields, greater community cooperation and enhanced long-term sustainability in the environment.
