DPO03 – Women Farmers and Climate Change Adaptations in the MENA Region

Supervisors: Dr Nela Smolovic Jones and Dr Alexandra Bristow (Department of People and Organisations, The Open University Business School, Faculty of Business and Law).

Research Aims:

This project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by women agricultural workers in the MENA region and how they adapt to climate change in the post-conflict context. It will highlight the role of women in agricultural innovation and community strengthening, offering insights into how development strategies can better support these women. The findings will contribute to the broader discourse on gender, agriculture, and climate change, particularly in the context of the Global South.

Although these aims can be shaped in a number of ways by the successful candidate, we are particularly interested in proposals around the following research question:

How do women farmers in the MENA region engage with climate change adaptations to improve their working conditions, environment, and livelihoods?

Theoretical Perspective and Contribution:

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is significantly affected by climate change, with severe drought and aridity making agricultural labour increasingly challenging (Waha et al., 2017). These conditions have led to increased migration amongst men in search of better employment, leaving women to shoulder the majority of agricultural work (Waha et al., 2017). Despite their increased involvement, women own only 5% of agricultural land and are often excluded from decision-making processes (Motzafi-Haller, 2017; UNDP, 2021). The ongoing armed conflicts in the region further exacerbate the impact of climate change on agriculture, affecting production, worker composition, and sustainability. Displaced women and refugees, who are increasingly becoming the primary agricultural workers, face economic exploitation, discrimination, and abuse (Nory et al., 2024; UN, 2024; GAGE, 2022; Turkmani et al., 2023).

Research indicates that women in the MENA region demonstrate higher environmental awareness and interest in environmental quality compared to their male counterparts (Dibeh et al., 2021; Jeder et al., 2021). Development strategies on climate change in these countries often target women, enrolling them in programmes with an environmental focus (UN Women, 2023-27). As a result, women are increasingly playing a critical role in agricultural innovation, community strengthening, and climate adaptation (UN Women, 2022).

While organisation studies scholars have shown interest in the intersection of climate crises and agriculture, this remains a relatively new area of research. Many scholars focus on conceptual rather than empirical work, advocating for less human-centric approaches (e.g., Dallyn et al., 2024; Labatut, 2023; Wittneben et al., 2012). The intersection is rarely explored from a gendered perspective, although some authors draw on feminist theory (e.g. Beacham, 2018). Even less common is research focusing on the Global South, where the impact of climate change on agriculture is most severe, with some notable exceptions (e.g., Ramirez et al., 2014; Jack et al., 2022). While studies are increasingly examining the experiences of migrant women and refugees (e.g., Alkhaled and Sasaki, 2022; Hultin et al, 2022), none have specifically addressed women’s engagement with agricultural labour in the MENA region. Therefore, more research is needed on the overlap between agricultural work, climate and gender. This research is crucial given the ongoing climate crises and conflicts in the region, which significantly undermine gender equality and women’s ability to generate livelihoods.

Methodology:

This study necessitates a qualitative, ethnographic methodology. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of and/or interest in such methodology and its elements, such as observation, in-depth interviews, and/or focus group discussions required to collect rich, qualitative data. The ideal candidate would ideally have access to a suitable research setting within the MENA region, where they would be able to embed themselves to gain in-depth insights into the experiences of women agricultural workers.

Expected Outcomes and Impact:

This research will fill a critical gap in the literature by exploring the intersection of gender, agriculture, and climate change in the MENA region. It will provide valuable insights into the experiences of women agricultural workers and inform policies and programmes aimed at supporting their efforts to adapt to climate change and improve their livelihoods.

References:

Abu-Hashim, M., Allouche, F. K., & Negm, A. (Eds.). (2021). Agro-Environmental Sustainability in MENA Regions. Springer.

Alkhaled, S., & Sasaki, I. (2022). Syrian women refugees: Coping with indeterminate liminality during forcible displacement. Organization Studies, 43(10), 1583-1605.

Beacham, J. (2018). Organising food differently: Towards a more-than-human ethics of care for the Anthropocene. Organization, 25(4), 533-549.

Dallyn, S., Checchi, M., Prado, P., & Munro, I. (2024). Conscientisation and communities of compost: Rethinking management pedagogy in an age of climate crises. Management Learning, 55(1), 104-123.

Dibeh, G., Fakih, A., Marrouch, W., & Matar, G. (2021). Who Cares About Environmental Quality in the MENA Region? Social Indicators Research, 157(2), 603-629.

Hultin, L., Introna, L. D., Göransson, M. B., & Mähring, M. (2022). Precarity, hospitality, and the becoming of a subject that matters: A study of Syrian refugees in Lebanese tented settlements. Organization Studies, 43(5), 669-697.

Jack, G., Plahe, J., & Wright, S. (2022). Development as freedom? Insights from a farmer-led sustainable agriculture non-governmental organisation in the Philippines. Human Relations, 75(10), 1875-1902.

Jeder, H., Abdelhamid, A., & Ahmed, S. (2021). Smallholder farmers’ perceptions and adaptation strategies to mitigate the effect of climate change in the oases of South-Eastern Tunisia. Mediterranean Journal of Economics, Agriculture and Environment 20(5).

Labatut, J. (2023). Towards a biosocial turn in management and organization research? Proposals for a paradigm shift. Organization, 30(6), 1230-1237.

Motzafi-Haller, P. (Ed.). (2017). Women in agriculture in the Middle East. New York: Routledge.

Noory, B., Habib, R. R., & Nuwayhid, I. (2024). Exposure of Syrian refugee agricultural workers to pesticides in Lebanon: a socio-economic and political lens. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1402511.

Ramirez, J., Vélez-Zapata, C. P., & Maher, R. (2024). Green colonialism and decolonial feminism: A study of Wayúu women’s resistance in La Guajira. Human Relations, 77(7), 937-964.

Turkmani, N., & Hamade, K. (2023). Syrian refugees and Lebanon's agriculture sector: Exploitation and absorption amongst an ‘invisible’ workforce. In H Dajani-Al, M Baroud, and N Yassin, eds. Refugee Resilience and Adaptation in the Middle East (pp. 83-100). New York: Routledge.

UN Women (2023-27). Women Accelerating Climate Action in Egypt

UN Women. (2022). In Lebanon, women are leading the fight against climate change

Wittneben, B. B., Okereke, C., Banerjee, S. B., & Levy, D. L. (2012). Climate change and the emergence of new organizational landscapes. Organization Studies, 33(11), 1431-1450.