Exploring the landscape of gendered geospatial methods in agri-food systems: A scoping review

Rosenthal, A., Legros, S., Leong, S.V., Zannier, A. and Sole, M. 2024. Exploring the landscape of gendered geospatial methods in agri-food systems: A scoping review. Nairobi, Kenya: CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform.

Women play pivotal roles in agri-food systems and understanding the complex and multifaceted nature of gender inequalities within agri-food systems is critical to continue empowering women in the agricultural sector. However, while women’s unequal access to opportunities and resources in agri-food systems is well known, little is known about the spatial distribution of the challenges they face. In this context, Geographic Information System (GIS) can help in revealing gender dynamics in agri-food systems and generating actionable insights that could make policies and interventions gender-responsive and/or gender-transformative. However, the application of GIS and other geospatial techniques is an underexplored area within the women, rural and agri-food nexus. To fill this gap, the CGIAR-GENDER Impact platform commissioned this scoping review to map and analyze the current landscape of how geospatial approaches and analyses are applied to gender and social research within rural development and agri-food systems and to identify opportunities for future research and development (R&D). This review applies a critical feminist lens to investigate what is missing in recent efforts to use GIS to study intersecting gender inequalities within agri-food systems, and how GIS technologies could be better employed to foster gender inclusion while enhancing women’s empowerment.