In parts of western Kenya, a failure of short rains in late October and early December has left fields brown and crops stalled at the flowering stage. In Kimilili, Bungoma County, maize, beans and cassava stopped developing, and many farmers now expect a poor harvest. Women farmers say the losses strike household welfare, limiting money for school, clothes and healthcare.
Researchers note that pests and diseases can cause up to 40 per cent more pre-harvest crop loss than climate-related factors. These biological losses interact with gender inequality: women represent about 43 per cent of agricultural labour in low- and middle-income countries but often lack access to land, credit, technology and advisory services. Equalising access could raise women’s yields by up to 30 per cent, increase total agricultural output by up to 4 per cent and reduce global hunger by as much as 17 per cent.
Marital and legal barriers worsen the situation. For example, a farmer who wanted to use family land as collateral for an irrigation loan faced opposition from her husband because of fears the bank might confiscate the land, and she cannot sell produce without his consent. Households commonly cope with casual farm labour, small shops and sales of milk, eggs and vegetables. Other livelihoods used elsewhere include:
- fish farming
- goat rearing
- tailoring
- savings schemes
Data gaps limit effective policy. CABI’s Global Burden of Crop Loss (GBCL) project aims to measure losses using the idea of "attainable yield in context" and by analysing field trials, scientific literature, automated text mining, Earth observation and machine learning. GBCL is funded by UK International Development and the Gates Foundation. Some policies already target women: in Odisha women receive 50 per cent input subsidies compared to 40 per cent for men, and the Subhadra Yojana gives direct support. In Kenya, county and national programmes supply seeds and inputs; Bungoma County offers trade loans for women’s self-help groups and works with partners on pest alerts and biopesticides. Improving data and gender-responsive programmes is central to reducing crop loss and its unequal effects.
Difficult words
- flower — to produce flowers; reach reproductive stageflowering
- pre-harvest — before the crop is harvested or gathered
- inequality — unequal treatment or opportunities between groupsgender inequality
- collateral — property used to secure a loan or debt
- livelihood — work or activities that provide household incomelivelihoods
- attainable — possible to achieve under given conditions
- biopesticide — a biological product that controls farm pestsbiopesticides
- subsidy — financial help from government or organisationsubsidies
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Discussion questions
- How do crop losses described in the article affect household decisions about school, clothes and healthcare?
- What changes in policy or services could help women farmers gain better access to land, credit and technology?
- How might better data from projects like GBCL change the ways governments or organisations respond to crop loss?
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