Tackling gender inequality and sustainability in agribusiness

illustration of a woman sitting in a big flower

Cut flowers are one of the top export products of Colombia. It is also an industry that struggles with sustainability and health issues for the low-skilled, mainly female, labour workers. This depicts the complex interaction between gender, labour, social and environmental issues.

It is an example of the intricacies of global value chains that the research team of this 2024 Signature project focusses on. 

Goal

The aim is to shed light on the complexity of the business, raise awareness from consumers to producers and revise the international sustainability labels used in this business. The team has expertise in different areas, such as water quality, international rights, sustainability and philosophy. By combining those, different questions are raised and different views on the matter taken into account. 

Furthermore, the connection with Dutch stakeholders in the flower industry will be made. How can their experience help create better understanding of the complexity of sustainability in the agribusiness?

Theatre play

The challenges will be outlined in a review paper and depicted in a theatre play that endeavours to catalyse dialogue, empower stakeholders, and envision a more sustainable agribusiness landscape. Theatre can be used to create space for the different views  and the reflection on it.This will potentially lead to a new way of thinking about the challenges of sustainability and visualize imaginative futures for the global production of cut flowers and other agribusinesses.  

Incubator phase

The team used the Incubator phase to explore collaborations and understanding different perspectives and methodologies. Dr. Julia Swart shares her experience in an interview with Pathways.

Team

Non-UU partners

  • Prof. dr. Diego Leon Sepulveda Meija, Polit茅cnico Colombiano Jaime Isaza Cadavidade
  • dr. John Alexander Benavides Pirac贸n, Universidad del Rosario
  • Erika Gonz谩lez, Las mujeres en la industria colombiana de las flores (Women in the Colombian flower industry)
  • Ing. Margriet Mantingh, Pesticide Action Network Netherlands 

  • Events

    There are currently no events pertaining to this department or theme.

    RSS

  • 木瓜福利影视

    • Plukkerz: Lessons from Growing Organic Flowers

      In the media
      During our visit to Plukkerz, a small organic flower farm in the Netherlands, we learned about the challenges of certification, the lack of public understanding of the term 鈥渙rganic,鈥 and the farmers鈥 efforts to maintain healthy soil in order to run a sustainable business where flowers are the primary focus.

    • Exporting Suffering: The Flower Industry at Home and Abroad

      木瓜福利影视
      What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you receive a bucket of flowers? Maybe it is beauty and love. However, have you ever wondered what is behind those flowers? In this event, Dr. Yogi explored the human costs of the flower industry at home and abroad.

    • Kick-off meeting "Tackling gender inequality and sustainability in agribusiness" - a retrospect

      木瓜福利影视
      On September 18, our Signature Project 鈥淭ackling gender inequality and sustainability in agribusiness鈥 had its kick-off meeting. Read about the kick-off in this retrospect.
    RSS