IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/wly/apecpp/v47y2025i1p176-198.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Gender dynamics and aspirational disparities in agriculture

Author

Listed:
  • Alexis H. Villacis
  • Selina Bruns
  • Martin Paul Jr Tabe‐Ojong
  • David L. Ortega
  • Ashok K. Mishra

Abstract

Despite increasing scholarly attention to individual aspirations, rural women's aspirations in agriculture remain largely unexplored. With women increasingly central to agricultural work, understanding their aspirations is crucial. Using farm surveys from Ecuador, Kenya, and Rwanda, we investigate the relationship between gender and aspiration formation in agriculture. Similar to previous findings related to education and entrepreneurship, our findings show women have lower ambitions for agricultural production. Addressing the unique challenges they face, gender‐sensitive policies are vital for inclusive, sustainable agriculture. Our study contributes to a broader understanding of the multidimensional factors shaping agricultural outcomes, underscoring the importance of integrating diverse perspectives for effective policy formulation in agriculture.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexis H. Villacis & Selina Bruns & Martin Paul Jr Tabe‐Ojong & David L. Ortega & Ashok K. Mishra, 2025. "Gender dynamics and aspirational disparities in agriculture," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 47(1), pages 176-198, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:47:y:2025:i:1:p:176-198
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13486
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp.13486
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/aepp.13486?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephan Klasen, 2019. "What Explains Uneven Female Labor Force Participation Levels and Trends in Developing Countries?," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank, vol. 34(2), pages 161-197.
    2. Fafchamps, Marcel & Shilpi, Forhad, 2008. "Subjective welfare, isolation, and relative consumption," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(1), pages 43-60, April.
    3. Stutzer, Alois, 2004. "The role of income aspirations in individual happiness," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 89-109, May.
    4. Nina Guyon & Elise Huillery, 2021. "Biased Aspirations and Social Inequality at School: Evidence from French Teenagers," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(634), pages 745-796.
    5. McKenzie, David & Mohpal, Aakash & Yang, Dean, 2022. "Aspirations and financial decisions: Experimental evidence from the Philippines," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    6. Emily Oster, 2019. "Unobservable Selection and Coefficient Stability: Theory and Evidence," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(2), pages 187-204, April.
    7. Daniel Ayalew Mekonnen & Nicolas Gerber, 2017. "Aspirations and food security in rural Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(2), pages 371-385, April.
    8. Martin Paul JR. Tabe Ojong & Michael Hauser & Kai Mausch, 2022. "Does Agricultural Commercialisation Increase Asset and Livestock Accumulation on Smallholder Farms in Ethiopia?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(3), pages 524-544, March.
    9. Alexis H. Villacis & Jeffrey R. Alwang & Victor Barrera, 2021. "Linking risk preferences and risk perceptions of climate change: A prospect theory approach," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(5), pages 863-877, September.
    10. Palacios-Lopez, Amparo & Christiaensen, Luc & Kilic, Talip, 2017. "How much of the labor in African agriculture is provided by women?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 52-63.
    11. Eliana La Ferrara, 2019. "Presidential Address: Aspirations, Social Norms, and Development," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(6), pages 1687-1722.
    12. Laajaj, Rachid, 2017. "Endogenous time horizon and behavioral poverty trap: Theory and evidence from Mozambique," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 187-208.
    13. Villacis, Alexis H. & Bloem, Jeffrey R. & Mishra, Ashok K., 2023. "Aspirations, risk preferences, and investments in agricultural technologies," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    14. Tanguy Bernard & Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, 2014. "Editor's choice Aspirations: An Approach to Measurement with Validation Using Ethiopian Data," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 23(2), pages 189-224.
    15. Maertens, Annemie, 2013. "Social Norms and Aspirations: Age of Marriage and Education in Rural India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 1-15.
    16. Knight, John & Gunatilaka, Ramani, 2012. "Income, aspirations and the Hedonic Treadmill in a poor society," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 82(1), pages 67-81.
    17. Martin Paul Jr. Tabe‐Ojong & Thomas Heckelei & Sebastian Rasch, 2023. "Aspirations and investments in livestock: Evidence of aspiration failure in Kenya," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(5), pages 674-696, September.
    18. Tanguy Bernard & Alemayehu Seyoum Taffesse, 2014. "Aspirations: An approach to measurement with validation using ethiopian data," Post-Print hal-03022496, HAL.
    19. Alexis Villacis & Jeffrey Alwang & Victor Barrera, 2022. "Cacao value chains and credence attributes: lessons from Ecuador," Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(4), pages 549-566, April.
    20. Alexis H. Villacis & Jeffrey R. Alwang & Victor Barrera & Juan Dominguez, 2022. "Prices, specialty varieties, and postharvest practices: Insights from cacao value chains in Ecuador," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 38(2), pages 426-458, April.
    21. Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong & Thomas Heckelei & Kathy Baylis, 2021. "Aspiration Formation and Ecological Shocks in Rural Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 833-860, August.
    22. Dagne MOJO & Christian FISCHER & Terefe DEGEFA, 2016. "Collective Action And Aspirations: The Impact Of Cooperatives On Ethiopian Coffee Farmers Aspirations," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 87(2), pages 217-238, December.
    23. Pieter Serneels & Stefan Dercon, 2021. "Aspirations, Poverty, and Education. Evidence from India," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(1), pages 163-183, January.
    24. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr. & Heckelei, Thomas & Baylis, Kathy & Rasch, Sebastian, 2023. "Cooperative membership and exposure to role models: Implications for income and asset aspirations," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    25. Petra Debusscher & An Ansoms, 2013. "Gender Equality Policies in Rwanda: Public Relations or Real Transformations?," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 44(5), pages 1111-1134, September.
    26. Pyburn, Rhiannon & Eerdewijk, Anouka van, 2021. "Advancing gender equality through agricultural and environmental research: Past, present, and future," IFPRI books, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), number 9780896293915.
    27. Vanya Slavchevska & Susan Kaaria & Sanna-Liisa Taivalmaa, 2016. "Feminization of Agriculture in the Context of Rural Transformations," World Bank Publications - Reports 25099, The World Bank Group.
    28. David L. Ortega & Aniseh S. Bro & Daniel C. Clay & Maria Claudia Lopez & Espoir Tuyisenge & Ruth Ann Church & Alfred R. Bizoza, 2019. "Cooperative membership and coffee productivity in Rwanda’s specialty coffee sector," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(4), pages 967-979, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tabe-Ojong, Jr., Martin Paul & Godana, Guyo, 2022. "Are Agro-clusters Pro-Poor? Evidence from Ethiopia," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322432, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr & Heckelei, Thomas & Rasch, Sebastian, 2022. "Aspirations and Investments in Livestock: Evidence of an aspiration failure in Kenya," 2022 Annual Meeting, July 31-August 2, Anaheim, California 322435, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Martin Paul Jr. Tabe‐Ojong & Thomas Heckelei & Sebastian Rasch, 2023. "Aspirations and investments in livestock: Evidence of aspiration failure in Kenya," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(5), pages 674-696, September.
    4. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr. & Heckelei, Thomas & Baylis, Kathy & Rasch, Sebastian, 2023. "Cooperative membership and exposure to role models: Implications for income and asset aspirations," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    5. Martin Paul Jr. Tabe-Ojong & Thomas Heckelei & Kathy Baylis, 2021. "Aspiration Formation and Ecological Shocks in Rural Kenya," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 833-860, August.
    6. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr. & Nshakira-Rukundo, Emmanuel, 2021. "Religiosity and parental educational aspirations for children in Kenya," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 23(C).
    7. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr & Heckelei, Thomas & Baylis, Kathy, 2020. "Collective action and smallholder rural households: Implications for income and asset aspirations," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304580, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Villacis, Alexis H. & Bloem, Jeffrey R. & Mishra, Ashok K., 2023. "Aspirations, risk preferences, and investments in agricultural technologies," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    9. Janzen, Sarah A. & Magnan, Nicholas & Sharma, Sudhindra & Thompson, William M., 2017. "Aspirations failure and formation in rural Nepal," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 1-25.
    10. Raghunathan, Kalyani & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Kumar, Neha & Cunningham, Kenda, 2018. "Women’s aspirations for the future, and their financial, social and educational investments," IFPRI discussion papers 1752, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr., 2022. "Ecological shocks and non-cognitive skills: Evidence from Kenya," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    12. Tabe-Ojong, Martin Paul Jr & Heckelei, Thomas & Baylis, Kathy, 2020. "Aspiration formation and ecological shocks: An exploratory analysis in rural Kenya," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304583, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    13. Edward Martey & John K. M. Kuwornu & Prince M. Etwire & Emmanuel K. Apiors & Samuel Kwabena Chaa Kyire & Patrick Maanikuu Muotono Izideen & Francis H. Kemeze, 2025. "Does participation in on-farm demonstrations improve aspirations formation and food security? Evidence from Ghana," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 17(1), pages 127-144, February.
    14. Mekonnen, Daniel & Gerber, Nicolas, 2015. "The Effect of Aspirations on Agricultural Innovations in Rural Ethiopia," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211680, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Thompson, William W. & Janzen, Sarah A. & Magnan, Nicholas P. & Sharma, Sudhindra, 2015. "Social Drivers of Aspirations Formation and Failure in Rural Nepal," 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California 205757, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. Kai Mausch & Dave Harris & Javier Revilla Diez, 2021. "Rural Aspirations: Reflections for Development Planning, Design and Localized Effects," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 795-808, August.
    17. Lekfuangfu, Warn N. & Odermatt, Reto, 2022. "All I have to do is dream? The role of aspirations in intergenerational mobility and well-being," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    18. Bacud, Eva Salve Tino & Heckelei, Thomas & Ihli, Hanna, 2024. "The unknown link between aspirations and livelihoods: Do aspirations explain gendered livelihood diversification?," IAAE 2024 Conference, August 2-7, 2024, New Delhi, India 344275, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).
    19. Britta Höllermann & Kristian Näschen & Naswiru Tibanyendela & Julius Kwesiga & Mariele Evers, 2021. "Dynamics of Human–Water Interactions in the Kilombero Valley, Tanzania: Insights from Farmers’ Aspirations and Decisions in an Uncertain Environment," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(4), pages 980-999, August.
    20. Ladina Knapp & David Wuepper & Robert Finger, 2021. "Preferences, personality, aspirations, and farmer behavior," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(6), pages 901-913, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:47:y:2025:i:1:p:176-198. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://doi.org/10.1002/(ISSN)2040-5804 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.