Quick win No. 4

A commitment to empowering women in agricultural trade, including through increasing market access opportunities for agricultural products, and reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers in the agricultural sector.

Agriculture is an important component of the economy for many developing countries and contributes to food security and climate resilience. Women contribute significantly to global food production, including as subsistence farmers. A 2011 study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that women represent more than 40% of the world’s agricultural workforce. Yet if women farmers had the same access to agricultural resources as men, yields on women’s farms would increase by 20- 30% and agricultural production in developing countries would rise by 2.5-4%.

Women farmers are disadvantaged by their limited access to credit, agricultural inputs and marketing knowledge. Women usually have less access to high-quality inputs, such as higher yield seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, which improve the quality and quantity of their crops, and assists productivity. It has been suggested that the lack of marketing knowledge and a lack of integration into regional value chains can impede a shift to cash-crop production and access to domestic and overseas markets. The promotion of access to opportunities and resources to enable women farmers to be more productive would help to ensure a more gender-inclusive economic development.

Women, particularly in developing economies, are also affected by high tariffs on agricultural goods. Other barriers to agriculture exports include non-tariff measures, such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures, hygiene standards and tariff rate quotas that limit exports. Domestic support for agriculture in many developed countries may further limit market access.

Negotiations for the liberalization of agricultural trade have been on the WTO agenda since early 2000. Progress was made at the 2013 Bali Ministerial Conference and at the 2015 Nairobi Ministerial Conference where WTO members adopted a decision to eliminate agricultural export subsidies. The WTO agriculture negotiations will continue at MC12. The negotiations are not specifically targeted at women, but they are highly relevant for women and women's empowerment in agricultural trade. Women are at a disadvantage when it comes to the liberalization of agricultural markets due to the constraints to their participation in the formal agricultural sector. Liberalization of trade in agriculture can play a role in addressing these constraints, together with other interventions to empower women in agriculture.

Women in the agricultural sector would benefit from lower tariffs and nontariff barriers, improved trade facilitation and access to trade finance. Removing trade barriers that impede women’s access to international markets can contribute to enhancing women’s participation in trade and benefits from trade.