ABSTRACT

Purpose

This study explores the intersection of gender and place with agricultural extension services to understand disparities in resource and information access and build community resilience in post-conflict Liberia. It emphasizes how such intersections may be further compounded by climate change and provides possible solutions.

Methodology

Using a community-based research approach, 352 surveys and 44 focus groups were conducted in 22 communities in 3 counties in north-central Liberia. Subsequently, qualitative, quantitative, and spatial analyses were done to explore gender and place-based differences in farmer access to agricultural resources and household agency.

Findings

Study results show that women farmers have less access to technology, agricultural resources and information; higher, combined productive and domestic, labor burdens; and that farmers of both genders want more female extension officers.

Practical Implications

This study provides critical data to help effectively target limited expenditures on national extension services to smallholder farmers in post-conflict settings. Further, solutions for practitioners to adaptively mitigate farming challenges enhanced by climate change.

Theoretical Implications

Studying the intersection among gender, rural isolation and diminished capacity in post-conflict countries will enhance understanding of (extension service) capacity in settings with multiple drivers affecting gender inequalities.

Originality

Improve the overall understanding of how compounding factors such as gender and place effect extension service access and the ability of farmers to adapt to change, in Liberia and other post-conflict settings.

中文翻译：

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性别、地方和农业推广：一种了解利比里亚农民需求的混合方法

摘要

目的

本研究探讨了性别和地方与农业推广服务的交叉点，以了解资源和信息获取方面的差异，并在冲突后的利比里亚建立社区复原力。它强调了气候变化如何进一步加剧这种交叉点，并提供了可能的解决方案。

方法

采用基于社区的研究方法，在利比里亚中北部 3 个县的 22 个社区开展了 352 项调查和 44 个焦点小组。随后，进行了定性、定量和空间分析，以探讨农民获得农业资源和家庭代理权方面的性别和地方差异。

发现

研究结果表明，女性农民获得技术、农业资源和信息的机会较少；更高的生产和家庭劳动负担；并且男女农民都需要更多的女性推广人员。

实际影响

这项研究提供了关键数据，以帮助有效地针对冲突后环境中小农的国家推广服务的有限支出。此外，为从业者提供适应性缓解气候变化带来的农业挑战的解决方案。

理论意义

研究冲突后国家性别、农村孤立和能力减弱之间的交叉点，将增强对影响性别不平等的多重驱动因素的环境中（推广服务）能力的理解。

独创性

在利比里亚和其他冲突后环境中，提高对性别和地方等复合因素如何影响推广服务的获取和农民适应变化的能力的总体理解。