Gender, agriculture policies, and climate-smart agriculture in India

This resource combines an extensive policy review with learnings from focus group discussions with farmers from Gujarat to examine how Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) programmes reach (or fail to reach) women farmers in India. Drawing on 22 focus group discussions with 245 farmers, alongside analysis of national and state policies, it examines gendered divisions of agricultural labour, climate perceptions, adaptation strategies, and access to extension and information services, which support farmers in learning and applying new agricultural technologies. According to the study, several factors constrain women’s adoption of CSA practices. These include limited land ownership, poor access to credit and information, restricted mobility, time-based limitations due to domestic responsibilities, and exclusion from male-dominated extension networks and farmer cooperatives.

Despite government commitments such as a budget earmarked for women and gender-responsive State Action Plans for Climate Change (SAPCCs), implementation remains weak, with only seven percent of farmers reached by extension services. Women rely heavily on NGOs, self-help groups, and informal networks for information, while men dominate decisions on seeds, inputs, and sales. This article identifies the structural barriers of land, credit, extension, mobility, and institutional exclusion that prevent women from adopting CSA. By mapping policy gaps, it offers concrete entry points for gender-responsive policy design, making it useful for advocates, researchers, and policymakers working at the intersection of climate adaptation, agriculture, and gender justice.