Female farmers

80% of sub-Saharan farmers in Africa are women

Women make up the majority of farmers worldwide.

What are some of the unique problems that female farmers face?
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Although women produce most of the food and raise most of the livestock in Africa, they rarely have access to land tenure, credit, and agricultural extension services
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They are sadly under-represented in farmers groups, associations and unions.
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But by increasing women’s participation and representation in these groups, women and men farmers alike can work together to improve gender awareness
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While also improving their access to loans and agricultural inputs and land tenure.
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As a result, women are able to earn a greater income, which translates into better nutrition for their families.
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But women's voices often go unheard, or even ignored, and that has to change.
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Because once women obtain their rightful place in the decision making process so many of the current inappropriate policies and regulations can be changed
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For centuries men have controlled their women's lives, often totally ignoring their needs
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Where women have a voice such as in the Indian State of Kerala and access to education then literacy improves dramatically, birth rates go down and poverty becomes less prevalent 
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Globally many of the foods we eat in Europe are produced in emerging countries and if the farmers who raised the vegetables and other foods you eat were given a fair price for their crops then this would have a knock on effect for their greater communities 
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And if the workers who processed and packaged the food you eat had safe working conditions and were paid a fair wage then this alone would have a huge impact on their societies.
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As much as we all care about global food issues and how they affect human health and the environment, the problems of people in third-world countries can seem so far away.
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What can we do to contribute, even if it’s just in a small way?
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Why should wealthy foodies in the United States and Europe care about hunger in Africa?
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Because the foodie community in the United States and Europe are a powerful force in pushing for organically grown and local foods in hospitals and schools
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More farmers markets, and better welfare of livestock and some of that energy can be harnessed to promote more diversity and resilience in the food system.
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Right now, the world depends on just a few crops–maize, wheat, and rice–which are vulnerable not only to price fluctuations, but the impacts of climate change.
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Many indigenous crops–including millet, sorghum, sweet potato, and many others–however, are not only more nutritious than monoculture crops, but also more resilient to adverse weather events and disease.
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By supporting–and funding–NGOs and research institutions, such as Slow Food International, Heifer International, and the World Vegetable Center, wealthy foodies can help ensure that farmers in sub-Saharan Africa help maintain agricultural biodiversity.
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Even today, more than 6 million people in Ethiopia are at risk of starvation
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The people in many of these countries know better than anyone how to solve the problems they are facing
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They just need attention–and support–from the international community.
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In Africa, maybe more than anywhere else a little funding can go a long way
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Make your food choices judiciously