Silvopastoral systems in Latin America: mitigation opportunities for men and women livestock producers

Abstract

In order to strengthen the capacity of livestock producers to mitigate the impacts of climate change it is important to take
into account the gender relations that influence the production system. Men and women participate critically but in different
ways in dairy, beef, and dual production systems in Latin America, and consideration of their interests and priorities will be
key for ensuring effective implementation of mitigation actions, like those related to silvopastoral systems. Furthermore,
although both women and men are agents of change, women face certain limitations due to gaps in access to and control
over productive resources. Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) that address gender inequalities have better
potential to harness producers’ innovative capacities and create long-term positive mitigation effects.
In Latin America, the inclusion of gender perspectives in public policies is a relatively new phenomenon (FAO, 2013).
Development and environmental policies have commonly failed to recognize women’s role as producers in the national
economy. As a result, interventions and strategies have characteristically not addressed the different resource constraints
faced by Latin-American women, inhibiting the capacity of political strategies to achieve real integrated and equitable
territorial development. Recognition of the significance and economic value of the non-remunerated labor that rural women
do will be critical for the development of informed decision-making on mitigation options.