New Hotspot Map Reveals Climate Vulnerability of Women in Agri Food Systems

Context:

• Women in agri food systems face the highest climate risks such as droughts, floods, or shortened crop-growing seasons.

Women in Agri Food Systems 

• A hotspot map developed by an international team of researchers has ranked 87 countries based on the climate change threat faced by women working in agriculture sector. 
  • The study covered nations in Latin America, Asia and Africa.
• Researchers developed an index from six institutes including the World Bank Group, United States.
• The hotspot maps can help decision-makers and investors target finance and investments in areas where women are hardest hit by climate change risks.

Significant Findings on Women in Agri Food Systems

• Agri-food systems: Encompass production, post-harvest handling, and distribution. 
• Threats posed by the climate crisis disproportionally affect certain communities and social groups that are more exposed. 
  • For example, People living in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) are at heightened risk.
• Ranking: India stood 12th on the risk index. The other Asian countries included Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal, ranking second, fourth, seventh, and eighth respectively.
• Disproportionate Impact on Women: 
  • Within these countries, local climate hazards tend to negatively affect women more than men. 
  • Women’s adaptive capacities tend to be more restrained than men’s because of underlying gender inequality and unequal access to resources.
  • Significant climate hazards, high exposure, and high vulnerability faced by women in agri food systems are due to systemic gender inequalities.
  • Women and girls are found to be more likely than men to go hungry following natural disasters linked to climate change. 
  • In India, twice the number of women than men reported eating less in response to a drought.

News Source: DTE