CARE and our partners support women farmers to grow more food, earn fair incomes, and access markets.
Women play an essential role in food production worldwide. In nearly 30 countries, they make up more than half of the agricultural workforce.
Yet women farmers face persistent barriers, including limited access to quality seeds, fair prices, and market opportunities. These challenges restrict their productivity, income, and potential contribution to global food security.
CARE and our partners work across the entire agricultural value chain, from production to markets, to create fairer and more inclusive opportunities for women.
Food production challenges for women
Multiple barriers prevent women from producing more and higher-quality food. CARE and our partners focus on addressing key constraints.
Land
Men control most agricultural land, whether through law or customary practice. In 2018, fewer than 15 percent of landholders globally were women. In some regions, this figure was as low as 5 percent. Climate change and growing market pressure further intensify these inequalities.
CARE works with communities and governments to improve women’s access to land. We also promote climate-smart agriculture and market-based approaches that boost productivity and competitiveness.
Water
Limited access to water, worsened by climate change, disproportionately affects women farmers. CARE’s Water Smart Agriculture programming supports women to track, manage, and use water more efficiently for agricultural production.
Inputs
Small-scale farmers, especially women, often face high costs, long travel distances, and limited choice when accessing seeds, fertilizers, and tools suited to their needs. Inputs are frequently packaged in quantities that exceed what small producers can afford or use.
CARE works to improve access to affordable, locally available, and appropriately sized inputs.
Technology and information
Women producers often lack access to timely information such as weather forecasts, market prices, and modern farming techniques.
CARE and our partners provide technology, tools, and training that enable women farmers to make informed decisions, improve yields, and reduce risk.
Agricultural finance for women
Access to savings, credit, and financial services remains a major barrier for women farmers.
We support women through Village Savings and Loan Associations and partnerships with financial institutions, helping them build capital, invest in infrastructure, and grow their farms.
Food loss and waste
At least one-third of all food produced each year, about 1.3 billion tons, is lost or wasted. This occurs while more than 2 billion people still do not have enough to eat.
Food loss and waste affect more than hunger alone. They strain economies, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and waste vast amounts of energy and water.
Because food is lost at every stage of the system, from farms to markets to households, solutions must address the entire food chain. The good news is that effective solutions already exist.
How CARE and partners help reduce food loss and waste
CARE promotes a circular food economy grounded in gender equality. We promote a system where resources are used efficiently, and value is retained even when food or materials would otherwise be discarded.
CARE and our partners support communities across all stages of the food system. This includes helping farmers transform crop losses into usable products such as animal feed, improving storage and processing, and educating consumers on ways to reduce waste at home.
Our approach prioritizes:
- Women and girls, who are hardest hit by food shortages and economic shocks
- Local partners, who design solutions grounded in community needs
- Small-scale producers, who need the right tools, skills, and market access to reduce losses and strengthen livelihoods
