Gender integration in international agricultural research for development

“Science for impact” has been the implicit motto for the agricultural sciences since the late 19th Century. New insights into the natural sciences that could benefit agriculture inspired the establishment of agricultural sciences with an emphasis on biophysical components. Gradually, disciplines with a societal perspective started to provide guidance to improve effectivity and avoid harmful impacts. By acknowledging farmers as a diverse group of actors on various farm types, women in farming also came into the picture. Nevertheless, until the 1970s scientific investigation of the systemic interplay of all scales, aspects, and actors had been lacking and never became mainstream. Currently, agriculture and food-oriented scientific institutions explicitly frame their work as “science for impact” in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition to the life sciences, social sciences are urged to contribute. This chapter highlights gender integration in international agricultural research for development (AR4D) in its capacity to interconnect social and life sciences. The chapter first distinguishes five research orientations and then stresses their interconnectedness by presenting recent research on gender in international AR4D. Lastly, current gender approaches are explicated to stimulate purposefully selecting approaches in advancing further gender integration