Hyperseparation in Western agriculture: Male/female and human/nature constructions in Australia and the Netherlands

Abstract

Transitioning toward a more sustainable global agriculture sector is key to mitigating climate change. Power over resources such as land and knowledge is largely controlled by men and what it is to be a farmer is constructed around masculinity. A counter movement of female sustainable farmers has emerged in the Global North, and many of these women are new to farming. In order to understand the rigidity of masculine, industrial global agriculture and the constraints and opportunities of transitioning to a more sustainable food system we examine the experiences of this cohort of new, female, alternative farmers in Australia and the Netherlands. We focus on the mesosocial level, of new female farmers and their interaction with sites of hegemonic agriculture. We draw on Val Plumwood's conceptualization of dualistic hierarchies to assess the degree of flexibility in a system that privileges male over female and human over nature. The in-depth interviews with 36 new female farmers across Australia and the Netherlands reveal hyper-separation between the male and female dualism, which leads women to gender performances of masculinity in order to gain legitimacy as farmers. They do not internalize the master model, instead they hold fast to the value they place on producing food in environmentally, socially and personally sustainable ways. This study demonstrates the barriers and opportunities to remaking global agriculture as more equitable and sustainable.