Challenges of work in agriculture: a gender-informed analysis through the narratives of new entrants into organic farming
Résumé
This article examines work in agriculture by a gender-informed perspective through the narratives of new entrants in organic farming outside the family farming succession. It aims to understand lived work experiences by considering both the daily constraints of the labour and the meanings and values invested in the work. The analysis focuses on the early years of organic farming operations. The research was carried out in Ardèche territory, a département in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in southeastern France. We conducted a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with 15 new entrants who have established non-family farms and obtained organic certification. After transcription, the interviews were reviewed by using a triple-blind process. Edited transcripts were then uploaded to MaxQDA™ for inductive coding based on emerging themes and contextual analysis. Through the narratives of farmers regarding the constraints of work, we identified gendered effects in the responses concerning the available tools and equipment for agricultural work, the physical strain, strategies for prevention and self-care, balancing personal vs. professional life, and the social division of labor within couples. Unlike other studies, our analysis revealed no essentialist justifications for women's roles on farming. Moreover, our results show that the challenges of work are different for men and women. Men expressed concerns directly linked to working conditions, while women added work-life balance issues, notably linked to motherhood. A gendered perspective helped us to identify emerging work-related challenges faced by new entrants in organic farming, aiming to promote attractiveness and sustainable and inclusive working conditions for all.
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