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Gender gap in agricultural productivity and crops selection: Evidence from Burkina Faso

  • Publication | 2026
Global Food and Nutrition Security

Highlights:

  • This study uses individually managed-plots data from Burkina Faso to decompose the gender productivity gap.
  • On average, the unconditional plot productivity is higher in female-managed plots
  • Observable characteristics across male- and female-managed plots account for most of the gender productivity gap.
  • Crop choice contribute significantly to explaining the agricultural productivity gap between female and male farmers.
  • Staple food crops, mostly grown by men, narrow the gender gap, while semi-cash crops, preferred by women, widen it.

Abstract:

This study estimates and decomposes the agricultural gender productivity gap using individually managed plots data collected in Burkina. In contrast to prevailing literature, we find an unconditional productivity differential of 9.4% in favor of female-managed plots. Decomposition analysis reveals that observable differences in resource endowments explain a large portion of this gap. A key mechanism is gendered crop choice: women demonstrate a stronger market orientation, favoring semi-cash crops that align with their gendered roles and resource constraints, while men focus more on staple and pure cash crops. This strategic adaptation appears to drive the female productivity advantage. Our findings suggest that gender norms and access to productive resources influence the crops men and women grow, a pattern that, in turn, directly shapes their agricultural productivity. Therefore, the efficacy and inclusivity of agricultural policy will depend on its alignment with gender-differentiated farming systems and resource constraints.

Resources
More information and links
Authors
Relwendé Apollinaire Nikiema, Soumaila Bitibale
Publisher
Elsevier
Geographic coverageBenin
Originally published

15 Jun 2026

Knowledge service | MetadataGlobal Food and Nutrition Security | Sustainable Food SystemsGender Equality and Food systems | Farm productivityGender-related data
Digital Europa Thesaurus (DET)gender equality
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