New Research Digs into Women's Agricultural Productivity Across Latin America and the Caribbean

New Research Digs into Women's Agricultural Productivity Across Latin America and the Caribbean

Elando Serrano (photo, left), a senior majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Economics, and Tiwaloluwa Dapo-Adeyemo (photo, right), a sophomore majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Management, are collaborating on research focused on women in agriculture.

Under the supervision of Dr. Lawrence McNeil, professor of Accounting, Finance and Economics, the students examined the challenges women in the Caribbean and Latin America face while managing farms and other agricultural businesses.

Serrano and Dapo-Adeyemo analyzed factors affecting productivity in those regions, including income, education and legal structures. McNeil guided the project, which required extensive research. One such example emerged in Jamaica, where researchers spoke with a coffee farmer after her farm in the Blue and John Crow Mountains was devastated by Hurricane Melissa in 2025.

The research project, which examines agricultural productivity in the Caribbean and Latin America from 1990 to 2021, continues to evolve. It highlights how productivity is closely tied to women’s educational attainment, income levels, access to credit and legal rights to own property compared with men.

Cultural norms play a significant role in shaping these outcomes. In some communities, women are restricted from inheriting their father’s land due to concerns that marriage will transfer wealth outside the family, leading parents to favor sons as property beneficiaries. At the same time, families — particularly in rural areas — are more likely to invest in sons’ education than daughters’, contributing to a gender imbalance and the “feminization of agriculture.”

As a result, many women take on expanded roles, entering agricultural management while also serving as primary caregivers. Research shows that when women gain access to education, agricultural productivity increases and food insecurity declines.

Dapo-Adeyemo describes the experience as academically demanding and rewarding.

“Dr. McNeil was a true mentor. He helped with finding related literature, identifying data to corroborate the hypothesis and staying on schedule. He was a perfectionist, but that pushed me to be extremely thorough because the devil is in the details.”

Serrano shared his thoughts on his development as a nontraditional student. He used credits earned at a community college to further his education journey and subsequently enrolled at Bowie State to deepen his understanding of economics.

“Dr. McNeil and the faculty helped me hone my skills in data analysis and statistics, as well as techniques like interpolation and econometrics. I can truly say my intellectual identity was positively shaped by Bowie State. I was given leadership development and networking training, which I was able to apply during various opportunities provided on campus.”

Bowie State University holds accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs and offers nine undergraduate concentrations and four graduate programs built around a student-centered curriculum. Faculty emphasize applied learning and offer hands-on educational experiences.