| Summary: | While the overall number of people occupied within the agriculture sector falls, the UK and other developed countries has witnessed a rise in the proportion of women occupied within the industry. Insights from cross-disciplinary research suggests that differences between the roles and performance of men and women are found to occur; with women substantially underrepresented as farm holders and often associated with lower visibility roles and contributions than their male counterparts. Yet, research from the field of economics lags and the area has received little attention from policy and public bodies.
This thesis’ objective is thus to undertake an economic analysis of the roles and experiences of women in the UK agriculture sector. As such, it aims to further the existing literature and help bridge the gap between social science and economic studies to become a steppingstone on which further research could be based.
Given the limited economic data available, it combines insights from cross-disciplinary works with secondary data from UK Government sources and primary data collection to
investigate the following areas: comparison of the economic performance of farm men and women; differences in performance between farm women; and the barriers and opportunities influencing women’s economic performance and participation.
The methodologies used in pursuing these investigations included: systematic review, survey and thematic analysis, as well as advanced econometric models such as the Multiple Regression Model, Ordered Logit Model.
The investigation yielded: a theoretical economic framework to characterise the economic profiles of UK farm women; empirical assessment of drivers affecting farm output, including an assessment upon gender; and evidence characterising the relationships between roles, responsibilities, visibility levels, and the barriers and opportunities presented to women in the UK agriculture sector. The investigation also yielded published works.
This study is the first in the UK literature to provide an investigation on the economic contribution of farm women that is supported by empirical evidence. The outcomes derived could be viewed as an initial examination of the economic contribution and characteristics of UK women in agriculture on which further research could be based.
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