Forestry and agriculture

Gender and equality perspectives

Only a fraction of the funding allocated to regional projects in forestry is directed to women's economic activities. Each year, the Soil Conservation Service allocates money from the Land Improvement Fund to specific projects in Iceland, such as for sustainable land use, vegetation restoration and carbon sequestration in soil and vegetation. From 2011 to 2020, women only received 4 million ISK of the 510 million ISK that was distributed. Institutions and associations received a little over 411 million ISK while men received 95 million ISK. Other collaborative projects from the Soil Conservation Service show a similar pattern — men and institutions receive the majority share of grants.

In traditional agriculture, direct payments predominantly go to men as they are more often registered as property owners and thus eligible for direct and support payments than women. Consequently, women's contribution to agriculture is often not recorded in official statistics. Therefore men, for example, are primarily registered as beneficiaries of forestry agreements as they are already registered for payments. There are, therefore, certain systemic and legal barriers that hinder women's participation in the cultivation of commercial forests. Efforts have been made to make women's contributions more visible by providing married couples and cohabiting partners with the opportunity to equally share payments according to contracted agreements. It will be interesting to see if these measures will sufficiently improve women's status in agriculture and forestry.

Comprehensive analysis and data mapping in environmental conservation, forestry and soil conservation that consider gender and equality perspectives have generally been lacking in Iceland. Research and analysis are needed in this area. Increased carbon sequestration through changes in land use and forestry will increase the need for labor in the industry, and information suggests that forestry and soil conservation is a male-dominated field, making it likely to benefit men more than people of other genders, unless specific measures are implemented. It would also be interesting to pay more attention to organic farming in Iceland, as foreign research suggests women are more likely to engage in organic farming than men. Individuals in such farming tend to be more aware of environmental and climate issues, younger and more educated than those in conventional farming. It would also be interesting to examine whether women are more likely than men to be in or wish to be in vegetable farming as they are more likely to be vegans.