What Percent of Farmers Are Women?

As of 2012, 43% of the world's farmers were women. The fact that such a high percentage of farmers are women has attracted the attention of development experts, who believe that the participation of women in food production has significant positive benefits for global food security. Experts point out that many female farmers in the developing world do not have access to the equipment, fertilizers or seeds that could allow them to significantly increase their production. It is believed that increased food production by female farmers could have a huge impact on hunger in these nations.

More about female farmers:

• In the United States, 14% of farms were headed by women in 2011, a number that has increased significantly over the past decade.


• The US Department of Agriculture encourages female farmers by targeting some of its loan funds to women and members of minority racial or ethnic groups.


• In Canada, women own and manage 26% of all farms.