Women Pioneers in Farming: A Gendered History of Agricultural Progress

Abstract

Women farmers – the silent heroes of everyday life. Progress in the history of agriculture – the achievement of male pioneers. That seems to be the message of agriculturally oriented literature on women farmers and the history of European agriculture. The article challenges this image with some research findings on women pioneers committed to agricultural progress in the past. Although it is difficult to establish their achievements because of the male‐biased view of agricultural historians and a quasi de‐authorization by the women themselves, one can discover women strongly dedicated to agricultural progress from early modern times onward. The European custom of patrilocality is shown to be a crucial mechanism inhibiting women’s innovative role in agriculture. It was a shift of paradigm, called the rationalization of agriculture, which led to the exclusion of women from the accelerating agricultural progress. Not until the beginning of our century did women win access to universities and scientific research facilities. Finally, the article sheds light on the fact that there is a close relationship between women pioneers and organic farming.