Make hay while the sun shines: Gendered opportunities and challenges to innovation in forage production in Afghanistan

Abstract

This working paper discusses the interface between gender and agricultural innovation systems. More specifically, the working paper investigates how gender norms and roles influence social relations between actors in forage innovation systems in rural Afghanistan. In this regard, the paper firstly explores how gender roles and norms shape the relationships and interactions between different farmers, as well as between farmers and other actors in selected forage innovation systems. Secondly, the paper highlights how gender relations shape women and men farmers’ opportunities to learn about and adopt agricultural innovations in rural Afghanistan