Agriculture is a key focus of the rural development agenda and women now make up the majority of the agricultural workforce in developing countries.

In the face of increasingly volatile agricultural conditions, due to the impacts of climate change for example, it is important that the rural poor and particularly women are equipped with the skills to cope and adapt to ensure food security and improve income levels.

With this in mind, the City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development conducted an international research project between January and August 2009 to explore the type of training that can help women smallholders to be more productive and adaptable.

Conducted in three phases, the project included a literature review, a review of existing international projects and finally, fieldwork in Ghana and India.

This site seeks to share the key findings, experiences and lessons. It also puts forward a series of practical recommendations for both practice and policy implementation.

The findings will be of immediate interest to governments and international development agencies who fund and/or design and deliver agriculture and enterprise training for women smallholders in developing country contexts. It will also be of interest to NGOs and researchers with an interest in agriculture, livelihoods and rural development.

Ultimately, we hope that our findings will change the way key agencies approach and fund agricultural and enterprise training for women smallholders in rural communities.