Calls for increased remuneration for women working on farm lands are picking up, with a new report recommending the development of a system that would see them benefit immensely from their sweat.

The report, the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) laments that despite 20 percent to 70 percent of women participation in agricultural activities, they continue to struggle with low incomes, limited access to education and credit, and job insecurity.

Funded by the World Bank and the United Nations, the report calls on governments to integrate gender issues in their Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology (AKST) processes. This, it says, will help tap women’s knowledge, skills and experience that are critical for sustainable development.

“Efforts to redress persistence biases in women’s access to production resources and assets, occupational education and training, information and extension services have met limited success,” the IAASTD report laments.

The authors of the report are calling for specific actions to mainstream women’s involvement in development processes as well as encouraging them to study agricultural engineering and social sciences.

“Women must be involved both as providers as well as recipients since 83 percent of extension officials in sub Saharan Africa are men, who, due to cultural norms, cannot speak to women,” Prof. Judy Wakhungu, the co-chair of the report said during its launch in Nairobi.

She warns that many of the existing societal policy related impediments are the factors that discourage more determined action in empowering women.

IAASTD’s report says that poor women farmers, processors and farm workers have benefited less from AKST compared to men.

In addition to gender issues, the report recommends for innovative and integrated applications of existing knowledge as well as new approaches be applied in creating opportunities for more resource efficient agriculture in order to confront the challenges facing the sector agriculture now and in the future.

It states that with the prevalence problems of poor soil nutrient, pest and water management and lack of capacity to respond to climate change, technological options such as new genotypes of crops, livestock, fish and trees need to be embraced.

She believes many problems facing Africa could be solved if biotechnologies focus on local priorities that are identified through transparent processes involving all stakeholders. Small scale farmers and rural communities are said to often benefit less from opportunities offered by agricultural trade.

In addition to this, The IAASTD report warns that opening up of farm markets prematurely to international competition can further weaken the agricultural sector of developing countries, hence causing more poverty, hunger and harm to the environment.

“Key changes that would benefit developing countries include removing trade barriers on products for which they have a competitive advantage, lowering tariffs on imports of processed commodities and improving their access to export markets,” the report recommends.

One of the solutions, the report adds, is to build the capacity of developing countries to analyze and negotiate agricultural trade agreements.