AFRICAN FARMERS AND THEIR HUSBANDS, CONTINUED...

Mahomet Ouedroago, Gourcy-Yatenga, Burkina Faso: 'Women are the main players in economic production in rural areas, and are more often than not in charge of local forms of land use: seed selection, land improvement, distribution of natural fertilizer, crop rotation, fallow periods. Often against the will of the men, women have a vast capital of experience, especially different to that of the men in the field of rational management of resources. The men have gone off into labourinq, or to the towns in search of work, with the women staying in charge of food production and sustainable land management. Our countries are witnessing a process of 'male-ing' of modern agriculture, with its emphasis on mechanization and intensive inputs. The corollary is the 'feminization' of the traditional subsistence economy. This means that women should be integrated in the design and implementation of development activities, especially local development.Mahomet Ouedroago, Gourcy-Yatenga, Burkina Faso: 'Women are the main players in economic production in rural areas,and are more often than not in charge of local forms of land use: seed selection, land improvement, distribution of..