Introduction

This chapter discusses the challenges of bridging and encompassing a global perspective on a topic, how much of the author’s voice and identity to include, and how to adequately cover large topics in short. Academics and development practitioners are increasingly recognizing the importance of gender issues in agriculture and food security. Beginning with Ester Boserup’s formative work on women in agricultural development in 1970, the field of gender and agriculture has grown over the past several decades with important studies and insights from across the world. A wide diversity of people work in farming and agriculture across many regions and in different types of agriculture, with gender an influential factor in who does the work, who has access to resources, and who makes decisions. A wide diversity of people work in farming, agriculture across many regions and in different types of agriculture, with gender an influential factor in who does the work, who has access to resources, who makes decisions.