Transforming food systems
A gendered perspective on local agricultural innovation in Cuba
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 13076375 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bárbara Fernández (0000-0002-5156-5066, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas), Erin Nelson (0000-0002-7448-9588, University of Guelph, corresponding author), Anaisa Crespo Morales (University of Pinar del Río), Rodobaldo Ortíz Pérez (0000-0001-7266-7929, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas), Rosa Acosta Roca (Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas), Regla M Cárdenas Travieso (0000-0003-4667-4863, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Pages | 1256379-1256379 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-06 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2297-7775 • E-ISSN: 2297-7775 |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1256379 |
| PMID | 37868090 |
| OpenAlex | W4387409070 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 5 |
Compared to many countries, Cuba has made significant progress in advancing women's rights and gender equity; however, disparities remain. In the country's rural communities and agricultural sector, women continue to face barriers to equal participation and recognition for the value of their work. This case study shares the story of gender equity efforts that have been conducted within the framework of a broader development project-the Project to Strengthen a System of Innovation in Local Agricultural Development (PIAL, for its initials in Spanish). PIAL began in 2001 as a participatory plant-breeding initiative aimed at increasing the genetic diversity of key crops such as maize and beans. Over the course of two decades, the project's goals expanded to include an emphasis on increasing women's participation. In the beginning, those efforts focused on including women in the participatory plant-breeding activities, which enabled them to prioritize traits they cared about such as grain texture, cooking speed, and taste in the selection process. Over time, the participatory nature of the PIAL methodology empowered women to identify and pursue capacity-building in other areas of local agricultural innovation. While PPB remained central to PIAL, women also chose to pursue opportunities in seed bank management, leadership training, and small-scale farm-based entrepreneurship. The results of the PIAL work on gender have included not just more inclusive plant breeding, but also important economic improvements for rural women as they have been able to diversify their livelihoods, and social change as they have gained confidence and recognition as leaders in their households, communities, and beyond
Agriculture · Business · Citizen journalism · Economic growth · Economics · Entrepreneurship · Equity (law · Geography · Livelihood · Participatory action research · Political science · Sociology · Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development · Cuban History and Society · Latin American rural development · Finance
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |