Women in Coffee Farming: Economic Contributions of Female-Headed Coffee-Producing Households to Liberia’s GDP

Abstract

Background

Coffee is one of the primary agriculture products of Liberia, and it plays an important role for many Liberians who produce coffee for either subsistence (household) or selling coffee in their region. To create an inclusive agro-economic environment, it is essential to assess the gender make-up and participation of all coffee producers and to evaluate how women are included in the development of value-chain markets. There are many female-headed households in coffee producing countries such as Liberia, which are an under-utilized resource within this coffee-producing country.

Methods

Secondary data from Liberia's Agricultural Household Survey (2022) were utilized for this study, including all fifteen counties of Liberia. The study population included a total of 359,075 agricultural householders, of which 10,739 households were identified as coffee-producing households. The data in the data set were broken down by gender of the head of household, by the rural and urban regions of Liberia, and by the county of Liberia where each household resides. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the overall distribution of female coffee-producing households, as well as the women's share among the total agricultural household population as a whole. In Deciding Where to Get Coffee and to who (2008 - 2022) Coffee producing households' coffee production trends will be looked at from the perspective of time from this period in order to give a clearer understanding of participation per-gender in coffee production.

Results

24,9% of coffee producing households are managed by females, while 75,1% are managed by males. Coffee producing households that are male headed, in rural areas, have higher male ownership (75,1%) than coffee producing households that are female headed (24,9%). Most female operated coffee producing households are located in urban centres (30,7%). At the county level, the proportion of coffee producing households that are female headed varies widely from 14,2% for Rivercess County to 31,9% for Lofa County. There are several counties that have the largest numbers of coffee growing farmers in the country - counties such as Nimba County, Bong County, and Lofa County - where the participation of women has been highlighted. In total, in 2022, approximately 3% of all agricultural households were considered coffee growing households, down from 7,9% in 2008.

Conclusion

Women-operated households involved in coffee production represent approximately twenty-five percent of Liberia's coffee producers, however there are urban-rural divides and differences between counties throughout the country. In addition to providing agricultural livelihoods, these households contribute to how coffee contributes to the country's overall economy. Improving gender-sensitive agricultural and economic policies would allow for increased women's participation in the coffee industry, leading to a stronger contribution from coffee towards the country's overall gross domestic product.

Keywords: Coffee farming; Female-headed households; Gender and agriculture; Agricultural households; Liberia; Economic contribution; GDP