Research links women farming to community well-being

In a recent study conducted by researchers at the Penn State University, a top-ranked research institution in Pennsylvania, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America; a noteworthy connection has been established between the increased presence of women farmers in communities and positive societal outcomes. Published in Applied Economics Perspectives and Policy, the research indicates that US counties with a higher proportion of farms owned or operated by women exhibit higher rates of non-farm entrepreneurship, longer life expectancies, and reduced poverty rates.

According to the study’s lead author, Claudia Schmidt, who is also assistant professor of marketing and local/regional food systems at Penn State; women farmers strive to meet a social need in their community or they prioritise environmental stewardship over profits. Utilising a quantitative research approach with the US county-level data from the most recent US Census and the Census of Agriculture, the researchers conducted analyses to isolate the independent impact of women farmers on three key local economic variables: the poverty rate, average life expectancy, and rate of new business formation. The study suggests that prioritising and supporting women farmers cannot only contribute to a reduction in rural poverty, but also inform the development of effective rural policy strategies. These findings underscore the importance of recognising and nurturing the unique contributions of women in agriculture for the overall well-being of communities.