Large-scale bio-fuel production may lead to marginalisation of women in rural areas of developing countries in reducing their livelihood options, according to a recent study of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.
The study suggest that increased production of liquid biofuels such as bio-ethanol and bio-diesel, which requires more land and other resources including water, chemical, fertilisers to which farmers in rural areas especially small and women have limited access can have larger impact on their livelihood.
As a large portion of agriculture in rural areas are mostly farmed by women any substantial conversion of land to bio-fuel production might cause partial or even total dislodgment of women’s agricultural activity thereby increasing their vulnerability to hunger and poverty. This observation was presented by Andrea Rossi & Yianna Lambrou in their research paper entitled “Gender and Equity Issues in Liquid Biofuels Production”.
They have identified certain measures in terms of government pro-poor policy making by prioritising small farmers and women and providing them access to land, capital, and technology but at the same time counting the overall empowerment of women.
The report also talks about the potential degradation of agro-biodiversity with the replacement of local crops with monoculture energy crop plantations and also could pose a threat to knowledge and traditional skills of local farmers and women in particular, who are traditionally responsible in most part of farming.
As far as depletion of natural resources is concerned, the report reads: “If biofuel production competes, either directly or indirectly, for water and firewood supplies, it could make such resources less readily available for household use. This would force women, who are traditionally responsible, in most developing countries, for collecting water and firewood, to travel longer distances thus reducing the time available to earn income from other sources.
Furthermore the report cites the pressure of biofuel production on the work and health of rural farmers and hence the need to have international rules to make sure that the production of bio-fuels is environmentally sustainable and pro-poor.
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