In many parts of the world, the face of farming is women. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that globally, the majority of economically active women in least developed countries work in agriculture. And according to the 2012 Agricultural Census (the latest data available), 30 percent of farmers in the United States are women. Problem? Gender-specific barriers such as access to land, financing, markets, agricultural education and training, decent working conditions and equal treatment put female farmers at a significant disadvantage before they even plod or plant seeds.

Arguably, the biggest roadblock is land rights. Only 10 to 20 percent of landowners in developing countries are women, and in some parts of the world women still cannot legally own or control land. When a female farmer does not have the power to make decisions about the land she works on, it is impossible for her to enter into contract farming agreements that can provide higher earnings and reliable sources of income.