The FATE Project, which began in 2014 and runs through 2019, is coordinated by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Gender Studies and the Centre for Development and Environment at the University of Bern. UNRISD was a research partner from 2014 to 2016.
The production of non-traditional agricultural exports (NTAE) such as delicate spices (ginger, cardamom) or nutritious grains (quinoa) can generate wage labour and stimulate female employment in developing countries. This project analyses the developmental impacts and gendered implications of the growth of export-led agriculture, with a focus on rural labour markets, wages and the quality of jobs; on women’s empowerment; and on responsibilities in the productive and reproductive spheres. The research seeks to identify the conditions under which NTAE employment contributes to asset accumulation, and enhanced well-being and capabilities, or, by contrast, greater dependency and vulnerability, and it considers what can be done to mitigate negative outcomes.
Learn more via the
project website and
blog.
The project is funded by the R4D programme of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).