Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.5 Land tenure classified by gender and reported by the household head
Tenancy
Men (n ¼ 88)
Women (n ¼ 37)
Area (ha)
Percentage
Area (ha)
Percentage
Ownership
0:72 0:42
38
0:72 0:67
36
Rental
0:68 0:39
16
0:52 0:40
28
Posecionarios
0:82 0:98
9
0:84 0:67
6
Ownershipþ rental
1:0 0:46
17
0:34 0:22
5
Ownershipþposecionarios
1:52 0:80
4
1:54 1:37
11
Other types
0:85 0:10
16
1:06 0:62
14
Total
100
100
Posecionarios are those farmers farming land illegally (i.e. on land that has a different
designated use).
Source: Survey data.
identified as being primarily responsible for the farm in 70 per cent of cases,
and women in the remaining 30 per cent. Of the men responsible for the farm,
38 per cent lived on their own land, but less than half had a formal title.
Among the 30 per cent of households where women were mainly responsible
for farming, the pattern was the same: although 36 per cent owned their own
land, only 49 per cent held formal title to it. The principal problems identified
by farmers include contaminated water and the resulting contamination of
food, particularly vegetables.
Exactly who has access to and control over inputs for crop and livestock
production was related directly to the purpose of production: either for
market or for home consumption. Both men and women invest significant
inputs for commercial production (i.e. cash crops and animals for sale),
whereas it is mostly women who perform subsistence production (small-scale
plantings of root and tuber crops, beans, green maize and herbs, along with
small animals such as poultry and guinea pigs). The purchase and use of
pesticides is mostly done by men, partly because of the physical exertion
involved, but also because of the risk of contaminating children and food if
women handle pesticides. In some cases, hired labour is used to replace family
labour in the use of pesticides and other inputs. Male farmers have better
access to agricultural credit because of more frequent interactions with
suppliers. In almost 90 per cent of cases, men are responsible for crop
protection: both purchasing and applying chemicals.
Most community organization activities among the farming population in
Carapongo are male dominated. Men predominate in existing associations of
water users. Women make up only 10 per cent of membership in the
committees, but play an important role at the household level with domestic
water management in Carapongo.
In terms of gender differences and human capital, both men and women
lack access to training and information about crops and livestock husbandry
