Using TAPE to assess agroecology on women-led farms in the U.S.: Support for environmental and social practices

Abstract

Agriculture models predicated upon producing monocultures for export have proven unsustaina­ble. In response, the Food and Agriculture Organi­za­tion of the United Nations (FAO) has called for nations to produce food agroecologically in align­ment with natural ecosystems. The FAO identified women as critical yet underrepresented leaders in agroecology projects worldwide. Prior research about agroecology and women farmers has primar­ily been situated in low-income nations. This study examines women farming in the United States as a high-income nation to analyze if their practices align with agroecology using the FAO’s 10 Ele­ments of Agroecology and the FAO’s Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE). A mixed-methods case study design was used to collect web-based survey and interview data from 87 participants. We found that the participating women farmers tended to lead agroecological farming projects that provide direct nutritional, environmental, educational, and social services to their communities in alignment with elements of agroecology. Ninety percent of participants oper­ated farms at 100 acres (405 hectares) or less that mostly used direct sales models (farmers markets, community supported agriculture operations [CSAs], farm stands, and online sales), and half of participants offered opportunities for intergenera­tional engagement. These practices align with the FAO’s elements of Diversity, Co-creation and Sharing of Knowledge, Resilience, Human and Social Values, Culture and Food Traditions, and a Circular and Solidarity Economy. Environmentally, participants emphasized using practices for crop diversity, building soil health, and integrating ani­mals in alignment with the FAO elements of Diversity, Synergies, Recycling, and Resilience. Farm size and region were significant in the preva­lence of agroecological practices. Farms of 50–100 acres (202–405 hectares) were most likely to inte­grate animals, and farms in the Southeast were most likely to identify with conventional agricul­tural practices. Our data show that women-led farms in the U.S. align with sustainable agricultural practices as articulated by the FAO and, as in low-income nations, women play a valuable role in advancing a national agroecological transition.