Labour Migration and Gendered Agricultural Relations: The Feminization of Agriculture in the Ejidal Sector of Calakmul, Mexico

Male labor migration to the United States has significantly reshaped agricultural dynamics and gender roles in the ejidal sector of Calakmul, Mexico. Research reveals that while men's out-migration increases women's participation in farm labor, it also alters land tenure, decision-making, and management of hired labor, highlighting a 'feminization' of agriculture with nuanced impacts on local production relations. The study, based on a 2007 survey of 155 households across six ejidos and ethnographic fieldwork, underscores the need to distinguish between farm labor and management in semi-subsistence systems. Findings suggest that migration-driven gender shifts in agricultural roles are both substantial and context-specific, offering insights into the broader implications of rural out-migration on smallholder livelihoods.

RADEL, C., SCHMOOK, B., MCEVOY, J., MÉNDEZ, C., & PETRZELKA, P. (2011). Labour Migration and Gendered Agricultural Relations: The Feminization of Agriculture in the Ejidal Sector of Calakmul, Mexico. Journal of Agrarian Change, 12(1), 98–119. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0366.2011.00336.x