WOMEN IN PUERTO RICOS AGRICULTURE PRESERVING FARM LANDS

WOMEN IN PUERTO RICO’S AGRICULTURE PRESERVING FARM LANDS FOR A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Gladys M. González Martínez 1 and Alexandra Gregory Crespo 2 Professor 1 and Assistant Professor 2, Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agricultural Sciences, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez Emails: gladys. gonzalez 7@upr. edu and alexandra. gregory@upr. edu ABSTRACT The Entrepreneurship Center for Women in Puerto Rico’s Agriculture was established in the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez in 2007, supported by USDA/CSREES funds through a Southern Region Risk Management Education Center, TAMU grant. The mission was to empower women to contribute to Puerto Rico’s economic development. A total of 268 women were impacted during Phases I-III. The specific objectives were first, to improve farm business profitability by enhancing agribusiness management skills and second, contribute to the transformation of women in agriculture, from keeping a passive role, to perceiving themselves as entrepreneurs. Topics included agribusiness management, marketing, finance, risk management, and legal aspects, as well as self-esteem enhancement activities. Assessments show that women began to use electronic tools for financial planning and began to develop business plans. Now, over two thirds identify themselves as entrepreneurs and their self-esteem improved. Since 2011 a USDA-NRCS grant has made possible the continuation of the Center for an additional Phase (IV). The Center’s new vision is to empower women engaged in agricultural activities to contribute to Puerto Rico’s sustainable economic development, which will be accomplished through the fulfillment of the specific objectives of the previous phases, plus an additional objective: to enable the adoption of soil conservation practices among participants by demonstrating their benefits to current operators as well as to future generations. Three groups of women operators or managers were trained in 2011 and 2012 and the Center keeps receiving requests from women who want to participate, showing the need to educate additional groups. INTRODUCTION There is a need for accurate data on women’s engagement in agricultural activities. According to Vargas 1 (2004) in some cases there is no official data and in others data has errors. As of 2002 the Census of Agriculture 2 reports for the first time since being conducted in Puerto Rico data on gender of principal operator. Although Census 3 data show a decrease in absolute number of women in agriculture from 2002 to 2007, percentage wise the participation showed a slight percentage wise increase to 8. 9% of total farmers. It also shows that the decline in number of farmers was lower for women than in the case of males. Official data does not convey a realistic picture of the gender composition of farmers and ranchers (Norton, Alwang and Masters)4. When asked who is the farmer, business owner or operator, still women choose to report that it is the husband or another male and describe their own main occupation as house maker. Although most women engaged in farming do not consider themselves as entrepreneurs, they do most of the administrative tasks of the business and are owners or co-owners. A needs assessment study 5 (2006) showed that 87% of respondents were interested in receiving training in topics such as agribusiness marketing, finance, management, accounting, business planning, legal aspects and risk management from a gender perspective. An AES initiative to address the educational needs of women in agriculture started in January 2007 and continued in years 2007 to 2010 with the establishment of the Center. González 6 (2010) reported an increase to 33. 9% in women participating in educational activities of AES by 2007 -2008. Assessment of results and impacts collected by post tests, nominal groups and testimonials of women participants of the project evidence the fact of increase in knowledge, adoption of good management practices, improvement in business profitability and a switch in the role from farmer to entrepreneur. Blas Rivera 7 (2011) evaluated three groups of women who participated in the Center’s activities using a quasi-experimental design which measured the empowerment of women after one year of being impacted. Results showed that confidence, selfesteem and motivation among women participants increased resulting in improvements in empowerment. Sixty nine percent (69%) of participants perceive themselves as agribusiness women or entrepreneurs after taking the course. The project also had a positive impact in farm income. Since 2010, the center has introduced a dynamic dimension stressing the importance of resource conservation, demonstrating the importance for sustainability of the agricultural sector for the sake of food security, resource conservation, environmental quality and quality of life. Table 1. Participation of women in agriculture* in Puerto Rico, 2002 & 2007 2002 2007 Women 1, 554 (8. 8 %) 1, 408 (8. 9 %) Total 17, 659 15, 745 * Operators ** Source: U. S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (2009) 2007 Census of Agriculture. Puerto Rico. Volume 1, Geographic Area Series, Part 52. Washington, D. C. , February. Table 2. Participants by phase, group and type Group F METHODS Educational activities are conducted with a gender perspective and include conferences, hands-on workshops and field visits and take place within geographic area where the participants’ farms are located. The group of instructors is interdisciplinary and diverse, including faculty from diverse fields: agricultural economists, sociologists, family/consumer professionals, agronomists, soil scientists, agricultural engineers, and graduate students. Assessment is conducted formally via pre and post-testing and nominal groups resulting in evidence of knowledge gained, changes in attitudes towards the business of agriculture and adoption of the management and conservation practices taught. AWARDS This material is based upon work supported by USDA-CSREES under Awards Administered by UPR- Agricultural Extension Service: Award Number: 2004 - 49200 -03126 (Phase I), Award Number 2007 -49200 -03891 (Phase II), Extension Agreement Number 662215 and Award Number 622244 (Phase III) This material is based upon work supported by USDA-NRCS under Award Administered by UPR- Agricultural Experiment Station (Project Z-NRCS-010): Award Number 69 -F 352 -10 -01 (Phase IV) COLLABORATORS Faculty: Judith Conde, Carmen O. Gómez, Sandra Varela, Noel Torres, Hipólito O’Farril, SEA; Jose E. Martínez, Robinson Rodríguez, Jorge A. González, Alwin Jiménez, Luis R. Mejía, Madeline Mendoza, Alexandra Gregory, Myrna Comas and M. Julio Barragán, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Nereida Delgado, Graduate Assistants: Sol Taína Cintrón, María Teresa Florez, Sandra Blas, Orisnela Solano, Ada I. Pagán, Nicolás Cartagena, and Alexander Cano. REFERENCES [1] Vargas Carrasquillo, Ivelisse. La mujer en la agricultura puertorriqueña. UPR-RUM, M. S. Thesis in Agricultural Economics [2] U. S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (2004) 2002 Census of Agriculture. Puerto Rico. Vol 1 Geographic Area Series, Part 52. Washington, D. C. , February. [3] U. S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service (2009) 2007 Census of Agriculture. Puerto Rico. Vol. 1, Geographic Area Series, Part 52. Washington, D. C. , February. [4] Norton, George W. and Jeffrey Alwang. 1993. Introduction to Economics of Agricultural Development. USA: Mc. Graw Hill. [5] Estudio de necesidades de capacitación en el Área Programática de Agricultura, Mercadeo y Recursos Naturales del SEA-UPR, 2006. Design: M. Rodríguez, Ph. D, Prof. Eval and Assessment, data collection: L. Mejía, Assist. Ext Sp in Ag. Econ, analysis and Power Point presentation by M. T. Florez Grad St Ag Econ. [6] González, Gladys M. Mujeres se encaminan a asumir la dirigencia en la agricultura de Puerto Rico. (2010) Oral Presentation, Séptimo Coloquio Nacional Sobre Mujeres en Puerto Rico, UInter-Metro, San Juan, PR, 2010. [7] Blas Rivera, Sandra. 2011. Evaluación de la capacitación empresarial de las mujeres en la agricultura de Puerto Rico durante los años 2007 -2009. M. S. Thesis in Agricultural Economics, UPR-RUM. 26 Group 2 South West 27 Group 3 Vieques 16 (14 ♀ + 2 ♂) Group 4 North West 25 Young Puerto Rico 31 Group 5 North East G 25 Group 6 Central – West 38 Group 7 Cafetalera Zone 31 Group 8 East-Central 38 Group 9 Livestock CR 15 Group 10 Vegetales - South 28 Phase IV: 2010 -2013 H GENDER ISSUES: • Women in Agriculture Over Time • Faces and Voices of Women in Agriculture AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY: • Natural Resource Conservation Practices Potential Impact of Climate Change in Farm Profitability • Women as Managers of Natural Resources PARTICIPATING ENTITIES: College of Agricultural Sciences: Agricultural Experiment Station, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Extension Service Government of Puerto Rico: Women’s Advocate Office, Department of Agriculture, Municipal Governments Financial Sector: Economic Development Bank for Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Farm Credit, ACA Federal Government: FSA, NASS, RD, APHIS-PPQ & VS, FWS, NRCS, SSA , Non Governmental Organizations: Cafiesencia Puerto Rico, Icubadora Microempresas Bieke, Reach for Success Agribusiness Firms: Altamira Corporation, Inc. , Federación de Asociaciones Pecuarias of PR Inc. Central – Mountain Phase III: 2009 -2010 COMPUTER SKILLS: • Computer Literacy, Internet • Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher ADDITIONAL TOPICS: • Estate and Succession of the Agribusiness • Contracts • Grantmanship Writing • Preparing the Budget of the Proposal • Using Good Agricultural Practices and Food Safety • Farm Safety • The Farmers Natural Resources Managers • State and Federal Government Programs Group 1 Phase II: 2008 -2009 VISION: To empower women engaged in agricultural activities to contribute to Puerto Rico’s sustainable economic development. COURSES OFFERED: AGRIBUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS: • Legal Aspects of the Farm Business • Re-conceptualization of the Farm, Transforming Farmers to Agribusiness Women • Agriculture Beyond the Farm • Risk Management in the Agricultural Business • Business Plan • Agricultural Marketing and Marketing Plan • Agriculture Finance • Effective Communication: Key Element for Success in Agribusiness • Basic Records: Production, Sales, Input Use, Human Resources and • Payroll, Inventory, Cash Flow, Balance Sheet Participants D Phase I: 2007 -2008 THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES: (1) To enable the adoption of soil conservation practices among participants by demonstrating their benefits to current operator as well as to future generations; (2) To improve farm business profitability by enhancing agribusiness management skills of participants; and (3) To contribute to the transformation of women in agriculture from keeping a passive role to perceiving themselves as entrepreneurs. Location Group 4 Group 6 Group 5 Group 8 Group 9 Group 2 Group 7 Group 1 Group 3 Pilot- Group 1 Phase I- Gruop 1 and 2 Group 3 - Vieques Phase II- Group 4 and Young Phase III- Group 5, 6 and 7 Phase IV- Group 8 and 9 Figure 1. Groups of female farmers Entrepreneurship Center for Women in Agriculture , Puerto Rico, 2007 -2012, by location