Women Produce Nearly 80 Percent of the World’s Food in Developing Countries

Rural women produce between 60 percent and 80 percent of the food supply in developing countries. However, their access to land and their ability to make decisions regarding resource use remain limited due to cultural, social, and economic barriers, according to reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

The report highlights that securing land tenure rights not only expands women’s access to economic and technological resources but also encourages more efficient and sustainable use of agricultural land.

Land tenure refers to the set of rights that allow individuals to use and manage land resources, whether through private ownership, leasing of public land, or the use of communal territories.

Although progress has been made in recent years toward recognizing rural women’s land rights, inequality remains significant. According to the Atlas of Social Land Ownership (2024), more than 70 percent of land worldwide remains under male control.Source: FAO