India, March 11 -- Women-led farms are on average 25 per cent less productive than those led by men due to persistent barriers to productive resources and opportunities. To mark UN's International Year of the Woman Farmer, women smallholder farmers issued a global call for ensuring their equal access to agricultural technology, finance and markets, saying that unlocking women's full participation in agriculture could significantly boost food production and reduce hunger worldwide.

According to United Nations data, if women had the same access to productive resources as men, farm yields could increase by 20-30 per cent, which could feed an additional 100 to 150 million people. The participating farmers urged governments, funders and insti...